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Biomedical subjects

Marilyn J Rantz

Publications and source records attributed to Marilyn J Rantz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Systematic review of studies of staffing and quality in nursing homes.

PURPOSE: To evaluate a range of staffing measures and data sources for long-term use in public reporting of staffing as a quality measure in nursing homes. METHOD: Eighty-seven research articles and government documents published from 1975 to 2003 were reviewed and summarized. Relevant content was extracted and organized around 3 themes: staffing measures, quality measures, and risk adjustment variables. Data sources for staffing information were also identified. RESULTS: There is a proven association between higher total staffing levels (especially licensed staff) and improved quality of care. Studies also indicate a significant relationship between high turnover and poor resident outcomes. Functional ability, pressure ulcers, and weight loss are the most sensitive quality indicators linked to staffing. The best national data sources for staffing and quality include the Minimum Data Set (MDS) and On-line Survey and Certification Automated Records (OSCAR). However, the accuracy of this self-reported information requires further reliability and validity testing. CONCLUSIONS: A nationwide instrument needs to be developed to accurately measure staff turnover. Large-scale studies using payroll data to measure staff retention and its impact on resident outcomes are recommended. Future research should use the most nurse-sensitive quality indicators such as pressure ulcers, functional status, and weight loss.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2006

Entrepreneurial program of research and service to improve nursing home care.

This is a methodological article intended to demonstrate the integration of multiple goals, multiple projects with diverse foci, and multiple funding sources to develop an entrepreneurial program of research and service to directly affect and improve the quality of care of older adults, particularly nursing home residents. Examples that illustrate how clinical ideas build on one another and how the research ideas and results build on one another are provided. Results from one study are applied to the next and are also applied to the development of service delivery initiatives to test results in the real world. Descriptions of the Quality Improvement Program for Missouri and the Aging in Place Project are detailed to illustrate real-world application of research to practice.

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PubMed2006

Field testing, refinement, and psychometric evaluation of a new measure of nursing home care quality.

The primary aim of this NINR-NIH-funded field test in 407 nursing homes in 3 states was to complete the development of and conduct psychometric testing for the Observable Indicators of Nursing Home Care Quality Instrument (Observable Indicators, OIQ). The development of the OIQ was based on extensive qualitative and iterative quantitative work that described nursing home care quality and did initial validity and reliability field testing of the instrument in 123 nursing homes in 1 state. The scale is meant for researchers, consumers, and regulators interested in directly observing and quickly evaluating (within 30 minutes of observation) the multiple dimensions of care quality in nursing homes. After extensive testing in this study, the Observable Indicators instrument has been reduced to 30 reliable and discriminating items that have a conceptually coherent hierarchical factor structure that describes nursing home care quality. Seven first-order factors group together into two second-order factors of Structure (includes Environment: Basics and Odors) and Process (includes Care Delivery, Grooming, Interpersonal Communication, Environment: Access, and Environment: Homelike) that are classic constructs of Quality, which was the third-order factor. Internal consistency reliability for the 7 first-order factors ranged from .77 to .93. Construct validity analyses revealed an association between survey citations and every subscale as well as the total score of the OIQ instrument. Known groups analysis revealed expected trends in the OIQ scores. The Observable Indicators instrument as a whole shows acceptable interrater and test-retest reliabilities, and strong internal consistency. Scale subscales show acceptable reliability as well. Generalizability Theory analyses revealed that dependability of scores can be improved by including a second site observer, or by revisiting a site. There is a small additional benefit from increasing observers or visits beyond two.

Communication↗
PubMed2006

Facilitating interdisciplinary design specification of "smart" homes for aging in place.

"Smart homes" are defined as residences equipped with sensors and other advanced technology applications that enhance residents' independence and can be used for aging in place. The objective of this study is to determine design specifications for smart residences as defined by professional groups involved both in care delivery to senior citizens and development of devices and technologies to support aging. We assessed the importance of specific devices and sensors and their advantages and disadvantages as perceived by the interdisciplinary expert team. This work lays the ground for the implementation of smart home residencies and confirms that only an interdisciplinary design approach can address all the technical, clinical and human factors related challenges associated with home-based technologies that support aging. Our findings indicate that the use of adaptive technology that can be installed in the home environment has the potential to not only support but also empower individual senior users.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2005

Prevalence and characteristics of nursing homes residents requiring light-care.

Rising nursing home (NH) costs and the poor quality of NH care make it important to recognize elders for whom NH care may be inappropriate. As a first step in developing a method to identify these elders, we examined the characteristics of NH residents requiring light-care and changes in their care level from NH admission to 12-months. Using data from the Missouri Minimal Data Set electronic database, we developed three care-level categories based on Resource Use Groups, Version III (RUG-III) and defined light-care NH residents as those requiring minimal assistance with late-loss ADLs (bed mobility, transfer, toilet use, or eating) and having no complex clinical problems. Approximately 16% of Missouri NH residents met the criteria for light-care. They had few functional problems with mobility, personal care, communication, or incontinence; approximately 33% had difficulty maintaining balance without assistance; and 50% of those admitted as light-care were still light-care at 12-months. Findings suggest that many NH residents classified as light-care by these criteria could be cared for in community settings offering fewer services than NHs.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2005

Impact of pain on outcomes in long-term care residents with and without multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVES: To compare long-term care (LTC) residents with and without multiple sclerosis (MS); to compare admission status of pain, physical disability, pressure ulcers, depression, and cognitive performance in LTC residents with and without MS; and to examine the impact of MS and pain on outcomes 90 and 180 days after LTC admission. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of a large data set. SETTING: LTC facilities in Missouri. PARTICIPANTS: Residents admitted to non-hospital-based LTC facilities. MEASUREMENTS: Minimum Data Set/Resident Assessment Instrument, Version 2.0; Activities of Daily Living Scale; Cognitive Performance Scale. RESULTS: Residents with and without MS had similar pain prevalence and intensity after admission, with daily pain more frequent in residents with MS (P=.03). On admission, residents with MS had more physical disability (P<.001) and a greater prevalence of pressure ulcers (P=.004) and depression (P<.001) than residents without MS. In all LTC residents, initial pain status was associated with physical disability (P<.001), pressure ulcers (P<.001), depression (P<.001), and cognitive performance (P<.001) 90 and 180 days after admission. A diagnosis of MS was associated with physical disability (P<.001) 90 and 180 days after admission and pressure ulcer development 180 days after admission (P=.02). CONCLUSION: Residents with MS were more physically disabled and had more frequent pain and a higher prevalence of pressure ulcers and depression on admission than residents without MS. Pain, or lack thereof, in residents with and without MS on admission may warn of problems that could occur within 6 months after admission to a LTC facility.

Cognition Disorders↗
PubMed2005

Home-based assistive technologies for elderly: attitudes and perceptions.

This study aim is to explore the perceptions of seniors in regard to "smart home" technology aiming to improve their quality of life and/or monitor their health status. A total of 15 older adults participated in three focus groups. Participants had a positive attitude towards these technologies and identified application areas such as emergency help, detection of falls, monitoring of physiological parameters. Concerns were expressed about privacy and the need for tailored training.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2004

Nursing home quality, cost, staffing, and staff mix.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe the processes of care, organizational attributes, cost of care, staffing level, and staff mix in a sample of Missouri homes with good, average, and poor resident outcomes. DESIGN AND METHODS: A three-group exploratory study design was used, with 92 nursing homes randomly selected from all nursing homes in Missouri and classified into resident outcome groups. Resident outcomes were measured by use of quality indicators derived from nursing home Minimum Data Set resident assessment data. Cost and staffing information were derived from Medicaid cost reports. Participant observation methods were used to describe the care delivery processes. RESULTS: In facilities with good resident outcomes, there are basics of care and processes surrounding each that staff consistently do: helping residents with ambulation, nutrition and hydration, and toileting and bowel regularity; preventing skin breakdown; and managing pain. The analysis revealed necessary organizational attributes that must be in place in order for those basics of care to be accomplished: consistent nursing and administrative leadership, the use of team and group processes, and an active quality improvement program. The only facility characteristic across the outcome groups that was significantly different was the number of licensed beds, with smaller facilities having better outcomes. No significant differences in costs, staffing, or staff mix were detected across the groups. A trend in higher total costs of 13.58 dollars per resident per day was detected in the poor-outcome group compared with the good-outcome group. IMPLICATIONS: For nursing homes to achieve good resident outcomes, they must have leadership that is willing to embrace quality improvement and group process and see that the basics of care delivery are done for residents. Good quality care may not cost more than poor quality care; there is some evidence that good quality care may cost less. Small facilities of 60 beds were more likely to have good resident outcomes. Strategies have to be considered so larger facilities can be organized into smaller clusters of units that could function as small nursing homes within the larger whole.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗
PubMed2004

Nursing home quality and pressure ulcer prevention and management practices.

OBJECTIVES: To measure pressure ulcer quality indicator (QI) scores and to describe the self-reported skin integrity assessment, pressure ulcer risk assessment, and pressure ulcer prevention and treatment practices in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of a large data set and comparative survey. SETTING: LTCFs in Missouri. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred sixty-two LTCFs participated in the survey. Three hundred twenty-one facilities had pressure ulcer QI scores between April 1 and September 30, 1999. MEASUREMENTS: Pressure ulcer QI scores, Pressure Ulcer Prevention & Treatment Practices Survey. RESULTS: The mean+/-standard deviation pressure ulcer QI score was 10.9+/-6.2%, with a risk-adjusted score of 15.7+/-8.9% for high-risk residents and 3.1+/-3.6% for low-risk residents. Minimizing head-of-bed elevation to less than 30 degrees was used by fewer than 20% of facilities. More than 40% of facilities used a risk assessment tool that was not evidence based. Fewer than 13% of facilities used the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research pressure ulcer prevention and treatment guidelines. No relationship was found between the number of prevention strategies (P=.892) or the number of treatment strategies (P=.921) and the pressure ulcer QI scores. CONCLUSION: Valid and reliable pressure ulcer risk assessment tools are seriously underused. Evidence-based pressure ulcer prevention and treatment guidelines appear to be rarely implemented. This study provides a basis for developing educational and quality improvement programs and future research related to pressure ulcer prevention and treatment in LTCFs.

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PubMed2004

Senior care: making a difference in long-term care of older adults.

This article describes the creation of Senior Care, a practice of the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing (MUSSON). Senior Care is a home care agency that specializes in care of frail older adults. Grant funds assisted Senior Care in start up, and the program generated more than 1.25 million dollars in service revenue during the past fiscal year. More than 300 students, from nursing and other schools across the university, have used Senior Care as a clinical or service-learning site, and it is currently the site of several studies, totaling more than 3 million dollars in funding. Senior Care is the service component of the MUSSON Aging in Place initiative. The next phase is the completion of Tiger Place, a living community for older adults, built in affiliation with Americare Systems. Senior Care and the Aging in Place initiative provide an excellent example of how nurses can be leaders in health system change.

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PubMed2003

Research methods: managing primary study quality in meta-analyses.

Meta-analyses synthesize multiple primary studies and identify patterns of relationships. Differences in primary study methodological quality must be addressed for meta-analysis to produce meaningful results. No single standard exists for addressing these quality variations. Quality measurement scales are fraught with development and application problems. Several strategies have been proposed to address quality. Researchers can set minimum levels for inclusion or require that certain quality attributes be present. An inclusive method is to weight effect sizes by quality scores. This allows the inclusion of diverse studies but relies on questionable quality measures. By considering quality an empirical question, meta-analysts can examine associations between quality and effect sizes and thus preserve the purpose of meta-analysis to systematically examine data. Researchers increasingly are combining strategies to overcome the limitations of using a single approach. Future work to develop valid measures of primary study quality dimensions will improve the ability of meta-analysis to inform research and nursing practice.

Meta-Analysis as Topic↗
PubMed2003

Integrative review of physical activity intervention research with aging adults.

This paper reviews randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) that have attempted to increase physical activity behavior by aging adults. A systematic review was necessary because numerous studies target older adults, and previous reviews have addressed a limited range of primary studies. Computerized database, ancestry, and extensive search strategies by authors of research reported in English between 1960 and 2000 located diverse intervention trials. RCTs reporting endurance physical activity or exercise behavioral outcomes for at least five subjects were included. Integrative review methods were used to summarize extant research. Forty-two studies were retrieved. Seventeen RCTs with 6,391 subjects were reviewed. A wide variety of intervention strategies were reported. The most common interventions were self-monitoring, general health education, goal setting, supervised center-based exercise, problem solving, feedback, reinforcement, and relapse prevention education. Few studies individually adapted motivational interventions, used mediated intervention delivery, or integrated multiple theoretical frameworks into the intervention. Links between individual intervention components and effectiveness were not clear. Common methodological weaknesses included small samples, untested outcome measures, and time-limited longitudinal designs. Significant numbers of aging adults increased their physical activity in response to experimental interventions. The amount of increased activity rarely equaled accepted behavior standards to achieve positive health outcomes. Further work is essential to identify successful strategies to increase activity by larger numbers of elders and to accelerate the increase in activity by those who change activity behaviors. Sex and ethnic differences need further investigation. There is a vital need for rigorously designed studies to contribute to this science.

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PubMed2003

Statewide strategy to improve quality of care in nursing facilities.

PURPOSE: We describe the development of a statewide strategy to improve resident outcomes in nursing facilities, and we present some evaluative data from this strategy. DESIGN AND METHODS: Key components of the strategy include (a) a partnership between the state agency responsible for the nursing home survey and certification and the school of nursing in an academic health sciences center; and (b) on-site clinical expert technical assistance and support to facilities throughout the state. RESULTS: The partnership has resulted in state agency staff having information from analyses about resident needs and outcomes in the state and facilities having access to the quarterly electronic "Show-Me Quality Indicator Report." On-site clinical expert technical assistance is now used widely across the state, with 569 site visits conducted in 286 different facilities to help them interpret their quality indicator (QI) reports and implement quality improvement programs; statewide improvements in QI scores have been measured in several key QIs. IMPLICATIONS: Other states should consider building partnerships with schools of nursing in an academic health sciences center. Programs using on-site clinical consultation can facilitate improving quality of care in nursing facilities.

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PubMed2003

Getting the basics right. Care delivery in nursing homes.

In this study, the key exemplar processes of care in facilities with good resident outcomes were described. It follows that with description of these processes, it is feasible to teach facilities about the basics of care and the ways to systematically approach care so they can adopt these care processes and improve resident outcomes. However, for this to happen key organizational commitments must be in place for staff to consistently provide the basics of care. Nursing leadership must have a consistent presence over time, they must be champions of using team and group processes involving staff throughout the facility, and they must actively guide quality improvement processes. Administrative leadership must be present and express the expectation that high quality care is expected for residents, and that workers are expected to contribute to the quality improvement effort. If facilities are struggling with achieving average or poor resident outcomes, they must first make an effort to find nursing and administrative leaders who are willing to stay with the organization. These leaders must be skilled with team and group processes for decision-making and how to implement and use a quality improvement program to improve care. These leaders must be skilled at building employee relations and at retention strategies so residents are cared for by consistent staff who know them. The results of this study illustrate the simplicity of the basics of care that residents in nursing facilities need. The results also illustrate the complexity of the care processes and the organizational systems that must be in place to achieve good outcomes. Achieving these outcomes is the challenge facing those currently working in and leading nursing facilities.

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PubMed2003

Skin assessment and pressure ulcer care in hospital-based skilled nursing facilities.

The Minimum Data Set, a comprehensive assessment tool for nursing home residents, is used for clinical decision-making, research, quality improvement, and Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. Within the Minimum Data Set, pressure ulcers and skin condition are evaluated. Because information about pressure ulcer prevalence and care in hospital-based skilled nursing facilities is sparse, a study was conducted to: a) determine pressure ulcer prevalence upon admission to hospital-based skilled nursing facilities in the state of Missouri, and b) ascertain methods of assessment, treatment, and documentation of skin and pressure ulcer care in these facilities. Prevalence data were obtained from analysis of the Minimum Data Set data, and a survey was conducted to obtain skin care practices. The vast majority of residents (96%) were admitted from acute care facilities, and pressure ulcer prevalence on admission was 18.4% +/- 8.0%. Seventy-seven percent (77%) of the 88 surveys mailed were returned. The Braden or Norton Scale for risk assessment is reportedly used by 55% of facilities; whereas, 35% use a facility-developed tool. Commonly reported pressure ulcer prevention/treatment interventions used include: dietitian referral, use of barrier ointments, and a written repositioning schedule. Incontinence management and minimizing the head of bed elevation were infrequently used. Nearly one-half (47%) of facilities reported daily reassessment and documentation of wound status, suggesting less-than-optimal, time-consuming wound care practices. Despite the limitations inherent in survey designs and the use of databases such as the Minimum Data Set, the results of this study suggest that pressure ulcers are a common problem in acute care and hospital-based skilled nursing facilities and research-based risk assessment, prevention, and wound assessment strategies have not been widely implemented. The results of this study provide a basis for developing educational programs and a guide for future research.

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PubMedDate not supplied

A technology and nursing collaboration to help older adults age in place.

This is an account of an active collaboration between Computer Engineering, Health Informatics, and Nursing within an academic health science center to improve the quality of life of older adults as they "age in place." The Sinclair School of Nursing at the University of Missouri-Columbia has developed a licensed home health agency, Senior Care, to provide the care needed by residents of TigerPlace, a specially designed independent living center near the University. Technology has the potential to help address common problems encountered by older adults related to functional decline. Collaboration between Nursing, Computer Engineering, and Health Informatics is likely on a path to improve the quality of life of seniors.

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