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Quality Markers

Home health agencies that have the following quality markers in place are more likely to successfully attain the goal of the right care for every person every time.  The names of those agencies that have these markers in place will be listed here. Look for additions to this list.

CEO/Administrative Involvement
There is overwhelming evidence that the success of healthcare quality improvement efforts is dependent upon leadership involvement.  Organizations seen as having quality and safety oriented cultures achieve the highest levels of quality performance.

The Administrator requests, at least, quarterly reports (verbal and/or written) from the Quality Improvement team and discusses results with staff.

For a list of Nevada home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.
For a list of Utah home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.

Multi-disciplinary Quality Improvement Team
A dedicated multi-disciplinary QI team is essential for achieving and maintaining quality of care improvement.  Each member of the team brings different perspectives to the improvement efforts and staff education.  Having a designated team ensures that action plans and improvement efforts will continue even with staff turnover.

There is a position dedicated to QI and a QI team to focus on quality improvement efforts (more than one person, as well as being multi-disciplinary).

For a list of Nevada home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.
For a list of Utah home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.

Data Transparency Within the Agency
All staff need to be aware of current improvement efforts.  This is one of the elements that support a quality and safety culture.  In addition, data must be visible to staff so they can track the progress of their efforts and understand how efforts are related to agency goals.

Agency staff has access to agency outcome scores (OBQI reports and/or Home Health Compare data).

For a list of Nevada home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.
For a list of Utah home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.

Staff is aware of current quality improvement action plans being implemented by the agency.

For a list of Nevada home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.
For a list of Utah home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.

Acute Care Hospitalization
The national Acute Care Hospitalization Pilot Study demonstrated that the factors listed below are the basic foundation for building a successful process to reduce avoidable hospitalization for home care patients.  These need to be in place before implementing any other processes.

Clinicians use evidence-based risk assessment tools to identify high-risk patients and incorporate risk factors into individualized patient care plans.

For a list of Nevada home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.
For a list of Utah home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.

Clinicians equip patients and caregivers with information to address urgent/emergent needs.

For a list of Nevada home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.
For a list of Utah home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.

Once patients who are at risk for being hospitalized are identified, agencies have the ability to allocate the appropriate clinical resources necessary to address individual needs.  Tracking these patients is important because it allows the agency to monitor patient care to ensure the care plan is appropriate for the patient and that the care plan is being implemented correctly and completely.

Systems have been implemented to identify and track patients at risk for hospitalization and their related problems.

For a list of Nevada home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.
For a list of Utah home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.

Agency has a process to match intensity of clinical resources provided to available resources for patients' risks/conditions/problems as identified by risk assessment.

For a list of Nevada home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.
For a list of Utah home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.

Management of Oral Medications
Studies show a link between medication management and avoidable hospitalizations. Using assessments of a patient’s ability to manage medications will capture the variety of deficits that may need to be addressed.  Once deficits have been assessed, condition-specific interventions need to be included in the patient’s care plan to assist the patient to improve in the management of oral medications.  Continued screening to identifyunresolved issues in medication management enables the agency to assess whether the patient’spare plan is adequate or if clinical interventions are being done as planned.

Agency uses evidence based assessment practices to identify patients with deficits in oral medication management and develop individualized patient care plans.

For a list of Nevada home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.
For a list of Utah home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.

Agency uses evidence based condition specific/problem specific interventions to manage deficits in oral medications.

For a list of Nevada home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.
For a list of Utah home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.

Agency implements systems to screen patients who have difficulty managing oral medications for unresolved deficits and develop and/or refer for interventions as appropriate.

For a list of Nevada home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.
For a list of Utah home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.

Immunization Processes
Studies demonstrate that people in high-risk categories for pneumonia and influenza benefit from receiving the pneumonia and influenza vaccinations.  People who receive these vaccinations may still have an episode of illness, but the illness will be less severe, reducing the need for hospitalization and the chance of death as a result of the illness.

Agency assesses the patient’s pneumonia and influenza immunization history and need for vaccination as part of the comprehensive patient assessment at start of care.

For a list of Nevada home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.
For a list of Utah home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.

Agency provides vaccination or refers patient to a community provider for the appropriate vaccination.

For a list of Nevada home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.
For a list of Utah home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.

If the agency refers a patient for vaccination, there is a process to follow-up with the patient to determine if the vaccination was administered.

For a list of Nevada home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.
For a list of Utah home health agencies who have implemented this marker of quality click here.

Want to add your agency’s name to the list?

In Nevada, contact:  Donna Thorson at homehealthnv@healthinsight.org or 702-385-9933
In Utah, contact:       Cher Edmonds at homehealthut@healthinsight.org or 801-892-0155