Transforming data into practical information: using consumer input to improve home-care services.
OBJECTIVE
As funds have increased for the provision of in-home care, so too have concerns about the quality of services. In response, care management agencies and home-care providers have developed an array of monitoring activities designed to ensure the quality of services. In this article, we show how an area agency on aging both collected and used data to improve the quality of a network of in-home services.


METHODS
Data came from more than 4,200 consumers enrolled in a community-based long-term-care program operated by the agency. In addition, other indicators of quality, such as elapsed time to service, were also collected. The area agency combined these data into part of a provider quality report it produced.


RESULTS
The provider quality report showed considerable variation across the more than 80 providers delivering services. The report also included examples of how data could be used to improve the quality of in-home services.


CONCLUSIONS
Many home-care agencies now collect data from and about consumers participating in their programs. Often, however, these organizations do not have a good plan for actually using the data. This study demonstrates how to use consumer information to improve the quality of services delivered.
Applebaum
Robert
R
Scripps Gerontology Center, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA. applebra@muohio.edu
Kunkel
Suzanne
S
Wilson
Ken
K
D019058:Community Networks; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003625:Data Collection; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D018574:Home Care Agencies / Q000458:organization & administration; D006699:Home Care Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D011787:Quality of Health Care