Comparative data analysis using collaborative skilled nursing/long-term care indicator assessment.
This article describes a process developed by Eastern Mercy Health System (EMHS), headquartered in Radnor, PA, to identify opportunities for quality improvement using defined outcome-based indicators in skilled nursing and long-term care (SN/LTC). The model is built on collaboration among the system's freestanding and hospital-based facilities; it includes a cyclical approach to the exchange of information. The experiences of three of the system's members reflect how each has realized measurable benefits by applying to their unique settings the lessons learned through the collaborative process.