Quality of Medicare-reimbursed home health care

We investigated the prevalence of quality of care deficiencies in 4,324 Medicare-reimbursed episodes of care provided by 47 home health agencies. The quality of care protocol consisted of a process-oriented, systematic record review by a trained nurse reviewer. Results suggest that an estimated 14.4% of home health care episodes had quality deficiencies with the potential for or actual adverse effects on the patient. Multivariate analyses revealed that the complexity of patients' needs increased the likelihood and severity of the quality problems. Agency ownership was not related to risk of a quality problem, but regional variation in agency effects was observed. Specific problem areas were identified that suggested several ways that home health care could be improved.