EXAMINING NURSING HOME COMPARE

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案回应了NIA试点研究计划中概述的研究主题编号22（种族/民族差异和健康差异）。具体而言，我们希望审查“研究开发和改进的工具和方法.”（PAR-03-056：第4页）。拟议的分析有可能影响政策和实践-并最终帮助消费者（特别是少数民族）选择护理设施。 最近发现疗养院比较（NHC）（疗养院的国家报告卡）缺乏可靠性和有效性评估。除了GAO最近的一份报告描述了这一举措外，我们无法找到任何关于NHC的研究。这包括没有发现对少数群体适用国家人道主义法的研究。因此，尽管毫无疑问需要这份报告卡，但这方面的一些研究显然是有必要的。在本建议书中，我们重点关注NHC对最近被安置在养老院的长者家庭成员的影响。NHC旨在为这些消费者提供选择养老院的帮助。 我们的假设是，通过NHC报告卡的养老院质量的公众传播，帮助家庭成员选择护理设施，但对少数民族的帮助不大。在检查这一假设，我们将确定哪些组件的报告卡（内容，理解，导航，或决策）是最/最不有助于选择护理设施，以及是否可以作出任何具体的改进，使报告卡信息可以帮助少数民族和非少数民族。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal responds to research topic number 22 (Racial/Ethnic Differences and Health Disparities) as outlined in the NIA Pilot Research Program. Specifically, we wish to examine "research to develop and improve instruments and methods ... in minority groups" (PAR-03-056: pg.4). The proposed analyses have the potential to influence policy and practices - and ultimately help consumers (especially minorities) choose a nursing facility. Lack of reliability and validity assessment has recently been identified for Nursing Home Compare (NHC) - a national report card for nursing homes. With the exception of a recent GAO report describing this initiative, we could not identify any research on NHC. This includes finding no research on the applicability of NHC for minority groups. So despite the unquestionable need for this report card, some research in this area is clearly warranted. In this proposal, we focus on the impact of NHC on family members of elders who were recently placed in a nursing home. NHC is intended to provide assistance to these consumers in choosing nursing homes. Our hypothesis is that public dissemination of nursing home quality through the NHC report card has helped family members in choosing a nursing facility, but is less helpful for minorities. In examining this hypothesis, we will determine which components of the report card (content, comprehension, navigation, or decision making) are most/least helpful in choosing a nursing facility and whether any specific improvements can be made so that the report card information can help both minorities and non-minorities.