JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Report cards can help to make an informed decision when searching for a long-term care facility.

Objective:

To examine the current state of web-based public reporting on long-term care facilities in the USA and the UK as public reporting leading countries.

Methods:

We conducted an internet search for report cards, which allowed for a nationwide search for long-term care facilities and provided freely accessible quality information. On the included report cards, we drew a sample of 1,320 facility profiles by searching for long-term care facilities in four US and two UK cities. Based on those profiles, we analyzed the information provided by the included report cards descriptively.

Results:

We found 40 report cards (USA: 26; UK: 14). In total, 11 of them did not state the source of information. 7 report cards had an advanced search field, 24 provided simplification tools and only 3 had a comparison function. Structural quality information was always provided, followed by consumer-feedback on 27 websites, process quality on 15, prices on 12 and outcome quality on 8. Inspection results were always displayed as composite measures.

Conclusions:

Apparently, the identified report cards have deficits. To make them more helpful for users – and to bring public reporting a bit closer to its goal of improving the quality of health care services – both countries are advised to concentrate on optimizing the existing report cards. Those should become more transparent and improve the reporting of prices and consumer-feedback. Advanced search, simplification tools and comparison function should be integrated more widespread.