Reporting quality of nursing home care by an internet report card.

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to test an internet report card containing information about quality indicators (e.g., pressure ulcers, falls) as well as assessments of consumer satisfaction and of quality of care by the Netherlands Health Care Inspectorate in nursing homes.

METHODS

Employing a laboratory-type experimental design, 278 current and future consumers and representatives of nursing homes were asked to make quality assessments based on report cards of imaginary nursing homes. They were also asked their opinions of the report cards.

RESULTS

The participants were positive about the internet report card and considered it satisfactory. However, they did make some suggestions for improvement, such as using more understandable terminology. It also became evident that the information on the card must be complete; the omission of information resulted in more negative views of the nursing home.

CONCLUSION

The results show that an internet report card can be a useful tool that enables consumers to assess the quality of nursing home care. Further research is needed to examine whether the report card will actually be used by consumers to make decisions regarding nursing home care.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

The internet report card is a practical tool that can empower consumers, as it facilitates comparisons between nursing homes.