title: Quality of care and long-term care administrators' education: does it make a difference?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Long-term care administrators (administrators) can influence the care nursing home residents receive. However, little research has examined what factors of administrators are associated with how they influence care.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  In this research, the association between administrators' education and quality of nursing home care is examined. In addition, the association between state educational and training requirements and quality of nursing home care is examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information collected from 3,941 administrators was matched with secondary data, including Nursing Home Compare; the Online Survey, Certification and Reporting data; and the Area Resource File. The quality indicators restraint use, catheter use, inadequate pain management, low-risk residents with pressure ulcers, and high-risk residents with pressure ulcers were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Positive, statistically significant associations were found between the education level of administrators and all five quality indicators. Likewise, positive statistically significant associations were found between state educational requirements and state training requirements and the five quality indicators.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  If these associations hold true, then promoting further educational attainment of individual administrators may influence quality of care. The state educational requirements and training requirements for administrators' licensure may represent an additional means of influencing the quality of care in nursing homes.
authors.affiliation: Nicholas G. Castle, PhD, is Professor, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. E-mail: CASTLEN@Pitt.edu. Jessica Furnier, MHA, is Project Manager, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pennsylvania. Jamie C. Ferguson-Rome, MHA, is Faculty Instructor and Project Director, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Douglas Olson, PhD, MBA, FACHCA, NHA, is Visiting Faculty, George Washington University; Professor, Health Care Administration Program; and Director, Center for Health Administration and Aging Services Excellence, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Jennifer Johs-Artisensi, MPH, PhD, is Associate Professor & Program Director, Health Care Administration, Department of Management and Marketing, College of Business, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
authors.forename: Nicholas G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Castle
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Furnier
authors.forename: Jamie C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ferguson-Rome
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Johs-Artisensi
mesh_terms: D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006270:Health Facility Administrators / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States