Testing consumers' comprehension of quality measures using alternative reporting formats
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Qualitative and Quantitative Validation of Tools with Rating Scales Aimed at Assessing the Quality of University Service-Learning
Published on: August 29, 2025
Margaret Gerteis1, Jessie S Gerteis, David Newman
1Mathematica Policy Research, Inc, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. mgerteis@mathematica-mpr.com
Abstract:
CMS has publicly reported nursing home quality measures since 2002, but research has shown that many users do not understand them. Alternative visual displays may improve comprehension. We developed seven reporting templates in different formats, including bar graphs like those displayed on the CMS Nursing Home Compare Web site www.medicare.gov, and tested them with 90 individuals age 45-75, using structured protocols. Tests of significance were conducted, and statistically significant findings identified. Fewer than one-half the respondents accurately interpreted bar graphs as currently displayed on the Nursing Home Compare Web site. Respondents made fewest errors on templates using words to characterize performance as better, average, or worse.
Related Concept Videos
Review and Preview
Percentiles are a type of fractile that partition data into...
Types of Reports I: Hand-off Report
Following are the key components and categories of hand-off reports:
Purpose and Process:
Data Reporting and Recording
Quality Control
Quality control helps track data, visualize trends, and identify variations, making it easier to detect deviations that may affect the accuracy of an analysis. One way to do this is by generating a quality control chart, which...
Types of Reports III: Telephone and Verbal Reports
Here's an overview of each type:
Telephone Orders
Uncertainty in Measurement: Reading Instruments
