State Nursing Homes Reduce Bed Sores Among Residents
Quality Improvement Program Reduces Suffering, Saves Money
Oklahoma nursing homes participating in a voluntary program to improve quality of care for residents reduced pressure ulcers (bed sores) among high-risk residents in their facilities by 18.4 percent. According to data released in May from The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) a group of 55 nursing homes that partnered with Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality (OFMQ) in a quality improvement program outperformed state and national rates from 2nd quarter 2004 to 4th quarter 2005.
“These figures translate into significant treatment cost savings – between three-quarters of a million to $2 million – that can be used to improve care in other areas,” said Jim Williams, President and CEO of OFMQ. “We commend our nursing homes for their commitment to reducing suffering and improving the quality of life for Oklahoma’s most frail seniors. Nursing homes in Oklahoma are making a difference in the care provided to their residents through this quality improvement partnership,” he said.
Pressure ulcers present expensive problems for nursing homes and greatly impact the quality of life for those who suffer from wounds.
• As many as 23.9 percent of residents in skilled care and nursing home facilities develop pressure ulcers at some time. (The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel and The Agency for Health Care Policy and Research)
• The cost to treat one pressure wound can be as high as $14,000. (Age and Ageing, Vol 33 No. 3© British Geriatrics Society 2004)
• Treatment for wound care costs $1.3 billion annually. (The National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel)
Bed sores create costly legal problems for nursing homes:
• More than 17,000 lawsuits are related to pressure ulcers annually (The Mayo Foundation for Education and Research)
• Individual settlements range from under $50,000 to as much as $4 million (Mayo Clinic Rochester Geriatric Medicine, Community Internal Medicine Division)
“Wounds make patients more susceptible to infection and death,” said Bob Lane, Nursing Home Project Manager with OFMQ. “It’s a big problem for nursing homes and that’s why there is an emphasis on prevention and treatment,” he said.
OFMQ, the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization (QIO), partners with health care providers – including nursing homes, home health agencies, physicians and hospitals – to improve health care quality in Oklahoma. OFMQ provides consulting, training and other resources to help providers deliver better care. QIOs facilitate the quality improvement program in every state through contracts with CMS.
“Our member facilities working cooperatively with OFMQ experts in improving the quality of care for Oklahoma nursing home residents are not only improving care but also the facility staff are reporting greater satisfaction in their jobs,” said Rebecca Moore, Executive Director of Oklahoma Association of Health Care Providers.
The statewide measurement for bed sores showed a 5 percent relative reduction. While the national rates improved overall, showing 6.5 percent relative improvement, nursing homes participating in the quality improvement program on a nationwide basis performed better, showing 10.9 percent to 12.3 percent relative improvement.
The CMS data also shows Oklahoma nursing homes participating with OFMQ in the QIO program reduced the rate of depression by 3.1 percent and chronic care pain by 5.7 percent.
OFMQ is offering an educational conference call series for nursing homes on the management and prevention of pressure ulcers. The next call will be held July 6 and is open to any nursing facility. For more information call 405-840-2891.