Qualidigm - Nursing Home Quality Initiative Project

Nursing Home Quality Initiative

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What's New

Connecticut Department of Public Health's Partnering for Quality Conference

Connecticut Department of Public Health sponsored a co-training conference for both surveyors and facility direct care staff, entitled Partnering for Quality. It was co-sponsored by Qualidigm, CANPFA, and CAHCF and featured nationally recognized speakers on pressure ulcers, pain treatment, restraint reduction, and dementia care. Click here to download conference materials.

WebEx Training

Download the WebEx Player to view a WebEx recorded session.

Pressure Ulcer Teleconference Materials - January 31, 2007

Restraints Webex Learning Session Materials

Physical Restraints - WebEx (19 Dec. 2006)
Physical Restraints (PowerPoint)
Management of Falls (PowerPoint)

Pain WebEx Learning Session Materials

Pressure Ulcer WebEx Learning Session Materials

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Tools & Resources

Effective Management of Urinary Incontinence in Long-Term Care Facilities

Train the Trainer Manual and Resources
Overview of Urinary Incontinence (UI) for RNs (PowerPoint)
Overview of Urinary Incontinence (UI) for CNAs (PowerPoint)

MedQIC is a website where health care professionals can find and share quality improvement resources and browse through recommended interventions developed by colleagues and experts in their field. MedQIC offers tools, articles and links to resources about how to transform organizational culture, adopt health information technology, redesign care processes, and measure and report performance. The following are some examples:

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FAQs

What does culture change in nursing homes mean?
What culture change models are available?
What is the nursing home STAR website?
How can I get time-trended reports on my Quality Measures performance?
How often is Nursing Home Compare updated?
Who do I contact to change/update my state survey results on Nursing Home Compare?
How does HIPAA effect NHs working with Qualidigm?
I just received a MOA from Qualidigm. What does that mean and what do I have to do?
Where do I find MDS coding clarifications?

What does culture change in nursing homes mean?
Culture Change is the change from the institutionalized model of care to a model of care resembling a home – a place that nurtures the spirit as well as the body. The person-centered model of care emphasized in culture change puts as much weight on social and psychological needs of residents as it does on medical needs. Culture Change initiatives in long term care focus on transformational practices and procedures in workplace practice, care practice and the physical environment.

What culture change models are available?
There are a few different culture change models available to guide you. The current available models are: Eden Alternative, Pioneer Network, Planetree Model, Wellspring Model, and the HATCh Model.

What is the nursing home STAR website?
The Setting Targets—Achieving Results (STAR) site is a website that helps nursing homes incorporate the publicly reported quality measure data into their own internal quality improvement efforts. The site focuses on depression, pain, pressure ulcers and physical restraints.

After login to the STAR site using a secure login process, nursing homes will see their quality measure trend reports and be able to set quality improvement goals for up to one year (i.e. four quarters) while also comparing their quality measure scores to state and national averages. The site presents nursing homes with several target-setting methods (e.g., a 10 percent reduction) and guides each nursing home through the process of identifying appropriate goals. If the home is successful in achieving the targets early or want to change the targets, staff can submit new targets as frequently as once a quarter.

To use the STAR site, nursing homes will need computers with internet connections. Any internet connection will work, including a modem line; however, a faster connection (such as DSL) will allow the nursing home to view graphs and information more easily.

How can I get time-trended reports on my quality measures performance?
All nursing homes are able to obtain time-trended reports on their quality measures performance through the STAR site. Upon login to the STAR site, a nursing home can view trend reports for four quality measures and then set goals for up to one year (i.e., four quarters). The time-trended reports are now available each quarter.

How often is Nursing Home Compare updated?
Nursing Home Compare is updated every quarter.

Who do I contact to change/update my state survey results on Nursing Home Compare?
To change or request updated state survey information on Nursing Home Compare, you must contact the State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health.

How does HIPAA affect NHs working with Qualidigm?
According to HIPAA regulations, when Qualidigm works with a nursing home under its contract with Medicare, it is considered to be an "oversight" agency. Qualidigm's "oversight" activities are authorized by law. See, e.g. 42 USC § 1320c-5(a)(3); 42 CFR §§ 480.111, 480.112, 480.113. Accordingly, HIPAA permits nursing homes to disclose protected health information to Qualidigm.

I just received a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) from Qualidigm. What does that mean and what do I have to do?
In order to participate in the Medicare program, federal law [Section 1866 (a)(1)(F)(ii) of the SS Act] requires Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) to have an MOA with a Quality Improvement Organization (QIO). The MOA outlines the QIO's and SNF's responsibilities in this relationship. If you receive an MOA from Qualidigm, review the document and follow the instructions in the letter that accompanies it.

Where do I find MDS coding clarifications?
Questions from RAI Panel and Answers from CMS – Fall 2006 - This Q&A document contains MDS coding clarifications directly from CMS. These questions were asked by NHs through their State RAI Coordinators.