title: Transfer of residents to hospital prior to cardiac death: the influence of nursing home quality and ownership type.
abstract: We hypothesised that among nursing home decedents, nursing home for-profit status and poor quality-of-care ratings, as well as patient characteristics, would lower the likelihood of transfer to hospital prior to heart disease death.
  
  
  
  Using death certificates from a large metropolitan area (Tampa Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area) for 1998-2002, we geocoded residential street addresses of heart disease decedents to identify 2172 persons who resided in nursing homes (n=131) at the time of death. We analysed decedent place of death as an indicator of transfer prior to death. Multilevel logistic regression modelling was used for analysis. Cause of death and decedent characteristics were obtained from death certificates. Nursing home characteristics, including state inspector ratings for multiple time points, were obtained from Florida's Agency for Healthcare Administration.
  
  
  
  Nursing home for-profit status, level of nursing care and quality-of-care ratings were not associated with the likelihood of transfer to hospital prior to heart disease death. Nursing homes >5 miles from a hospital were more likely to transfer decedents, compared with facilities located close to a hospital. Significant predictors of no transfer for nursing home residents were being white, female, older, less educated and widowed/unmarried.
  
  
  
  In this study population, contrary to our hypotheses, sociodemographic characteristics of nursing home decedents were more important predictors of no transfer prior to cardiac death than quality rankings or for-profit status of nursing homes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics , University of South Florida , Tampa, Florida , USA.
authors.forename: Gabriella M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Anic
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine , Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida , Tampa, Florida , USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth Barnett
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Pathak
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics , University of South Florida , Tampa, Florida , USA.
authors.forename: Jean Paul
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Tanner
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , Atlanta, Georgia , USA.
authors.forename: Michele L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Casper
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Management , University of South Florida , Tampa, Florida , USA.
authors.forename: Laurence G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Branch
keywords: Quality of Care and Outcomes