New AHRQ resource helps to improve nursing home care

A new Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) resource could help nursing homes improve the services they provide to their residents. The On-Time Quality Improvement Program Manual presents a practical approach to establish and maintain quality improvement. The manual provides an overview of the tools, key action steps, implementation tips, and firsthand knowledge from current program users about what works best. It targets State health departments, Quality Improvement Organizations, nursing home decisionmakers addressing quality improvement priorities, and the frontline staff providing the care. Another key component is the effective use of health information technology for clinical decisionmaking to identify and treat high-risk residents much earlier.

The manual helps to reorganize nursing home operations and identify essential quality improvement elements needed in coordinating members of a multidisciplinary team with clear performance roles to improve efficiency and promote better clinical outcomes.