Earlier this week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued the long anticipated final rule entitled Reform of Requirements for Long Term Care (LTC) facilities. This rule includes requirements for all LTC facilities to develop, implement and maintain an effective comprehensive, data-driven QAPI (Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement) program.
The policies in this final rule are targeted at reducing unnecessary hospital readmissions and infections, improving the quality of care and strengthening safety measures for LTC residents. These changes are an integral part of the national commitment to transform the healthcare system to deliver better quality care and spend healthcare dollars in a smarter way, setting high standards for quality and safety in long-term care facilities.
“An effective QAPI process and program will take a team beyond compliance. As a data-driven process, QAPI will help LTC facilities utilize their quality measures and other performance statistics to compare and contrast different approaches as services are reworked to meet and exceed the needs and expectations of our residents and their family members. This is an excellent step in the right direction on our journey to make care safer, to achieve better health outcomes and reduce costs in our nursing homes”, stated Brenda Groves, Regional Task Lead with the Great Plains Quality Innovation Network.
Read the CMS press release
The final rule is available on the Federal Register
The Great Plains QIN invites nursing homes in our region (Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota) to join the the Great Plains Quality Care Collaborative. Participating homes will be supported through these transformational changes in long-term care through 1:1 consultation, technical assistance, educational sessions, tools and resources; along with best practice strategies and evidence-based resources.
For more information, contact the Great Plains Quality Care Collaborative representative in your state for more information. You can find the name of the state contact under the Local Contacts tab on the page. For more information on our efforts to improve nursing home care and access a wealth of resources and materials related to QAPI, visit our Web site.