The first phase of this study will examine geographic differences in rates of nursing facility (NF) to hospital to NF transfers using annual multi-state data from the HCFA-sponsored National Nursing Home Case Mix Demonstration on nursing home residents in five states: Maine, South Dakota, Mississippi, Texas and New York. In Phase 2, we propose to expand our analysis of factors contributing to differences in transfer rates by linking hospital discharge and nursing home resident records in Maine. This enriched analytic approach will permit consideration of procedures and treatments received by NF residents during hospitalization, hospital length of stay, and hospital occupancy effects on transfer rates in rural and non-rural communities. The study will provide critical information pertinent to federal and state policy makers, and hospital and NF providers, as policy incentives targeted toward the reduction of hospital use by NF residents are being developed and debated.

There may be products related to this project; please contact the lead researcher for more information.