Chapter 33 – Five Star Rating Considerations For Home Health Agencies

Consumers often wonder how to go about assessing home health care providers based on star ratings. Care Compare through Medicare.gov provides this information based on the latest health care provider performance measures. This website is also how you can find different home health agencies and research about them as patients. As a consumer of healthcare, Medicare gives you the power to choose. This brings about competition among the different home health agencies, but this competition is healthy in a free market economy to improve quality of services.

There are three primary factors that affect the star rating of a home health agency, and they are:

• Quality of OASIS documentation
• Rate of rehospitalization
• Patient satisfaction surveys through HHCAHPS Survey

Quality of OASIS documentation is easily controlled by the agency and depends on clerical skills of the in house staff and nurses. The data entered into the OASIS documentation must show some semblance of progress toward improvement of the patient’s condition.

The SOC and DC/Transfers – The Critical Time Points for Star Rating Consideration

The Start of Care (SOC) documentation shows the baseline, and the clinician entering data in the SOC must provide “wiggle room” for improvement. They must document their findings in terms where the patient has medical necessity for home health care, such us at high risk for falls, increased confusion, and poor performance with ADLs or poor medication management. Through the episode of the patient’s care under the agency, the patient’s condition will change either progressing toward improvement, or progressing toward a decline. Improvement is the key in star rating considerations for home health documentations.

The SOC (1st point) will then be compared to the Discharge OR Transfer (2nd) time points. This is important to mention as the Discharge and Transfers should be referred to almost the same. Such that if a patient is Transferred to an inpatient facility, there is uncertainty as to whether that patient will come back under the care of the home health since that patient may stay an indefinite time at the inpatient facility, or be transferred to a skilled nursing facility instead. If the patient has undergone a transfer for more than 4 weeks without being readmitted back into the home health agency, they are considered a Discharge. This is why Transfers must often be treated as Discharges.

DC and Transfer OASIS documentation must show improvement compared to the SOC documentation in order to positively impact the Star Rating of the agency. This is why it is crucial for SOC documentation to have “wiggle room” for improvement, documenting a negative baseline, so that in DC and Transfer documentation, they show improvement. If in the SOC documentation, everything is perfect for the patient, then the DC and Transfer documentation cannot possibly show any improvement. See the Fundamentals Section 1 of this book for the list of M-items that CMS is looking to have improvement for the patient.

These ratings are just one tool consumers can use, but they should not be overlooked. Consumers will still find value in the other quality information found on Care Compare. Using star ratings is an easy way to learn how home health providers were judged and to provide feedback.

Quality of patient care star ratings

Consumer ratings are not the only factor consumers should consider when selecting a home health agency. There are also quality of patient care star ratings to consider. These ratings are calculated by examining data from five measures of care that are important for patient satisfaction. These measures are often considered outcome or process measures, and can represent best practices. During a home health episode, the HHA can make a difference in these quality measures, so it’s important to know what factors are most important for quality.

To qualify for the star rating, home health agencies must meet certain quality criteria. Quality of patient care ratings are based on publicly reported composite measures that were calculated using specific questions from the HHCAHPS Survey. Star ratings do not include patient recommendations, which are similar to the overall rating of care. The public report will be provided to the home health agency prior to publication and a person can dispute any errors.

Home health agencies should also be aware of the Home Health Compare website. This website allows patients and families to compare home health agencies and the quality of patient care they receive. These ratings reflect the agency’s level of professionalism, communication, and care. In addition, the star ratings can also help the agency attract new staff and boost the overall ability to attract referrals. The home health agency’s star rating should be continually improved, if the agency wants a steady stream of referrals. Continual performance measurement and cutting-edge tools are essential to attaining five-star status.

In addition to patient satisfaction ratings, patients should also consider the quality of patient care. Star ratings are an excellent tool to choose the best home health agency. They help consumers compare health care agencies, which is essential for patient safety. In addition to patient satisfaction, star ratings can also help agencies improve their service. Patients who are unhappy with their home health care should be wary of hiring an agency that doesn’t have star ratings.

Patient experience star ratings

When comparing home health agencies, one way to gauge quality of care is to examine the patient survey ratings. This information is based on the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey. Home health agencies can use these star ratings as a benchmark for the quality of care they provide to their patients. The official Medicare site explains the different star ratings and how they compare to those of hospitals. Then, look for home health agencies that have patient satisfaction ratings above the national average.

CMS’s latest Quality of Care star ratings provide consumers with peer testimonials about the quality of care that their health care provider provides. Star ratings are designed to improve consumer health care decision-making by providing patients with access to this data. CMS measures patient satisfaction by translating patient survey responses into star ratings. Agencies like Johns Hopkins Home Care Group and Potomac Home Health Care are working to provide quality care to patients and give them individualized attention.

Star ratings are the result of survey responses from patients and families. The survey questions were designed to help patients choose the best home health agency for their needs. The higher the score, the better. Home health agencies with more than 40 completed surveys are most likely to have a star rating. But it’s not just patient satisfaction that matters. In addition to star ratings, the patient experience is the best measure of quality in home care.

CMS’ Patient Experience Star Ratings are based on the HHCAHPS Survey, which measures patient satisfaction. They will be published on Home Health Compare in January 2016. CMS will host a Special Open Door Forum on May 7th to explain the reasoning behind the HHCAHPS survey and how to assign stars to the results. By utilizing the HHCAHPS survey, patients can compare results across states and even against national average ratings.

Home health providers need to be aware of the patient experience star ratings and the CMS website. Some home health agencies do not have enough data to calculate star ratings. However, CMS is constantly updating its website so these agencies may soon have one. While patient experience ratings are a starting point, they are not definitive. They should still be considered when selecting a home health agency. So, before you choose a home health agency, take some time to explore the CMS website.

Patient satisfaction star ratings

Consumers can now find out how their health care providers are performing by reading their patient satisfaction star ratings. CMS’s Quality of Patient Care Star ratings summarize key quality metrics to make health care decision making easier for consumers. Medicare-certified home health agencies report on a variety of care aspects, including patient satisfaction with the home care agency’s quality of care. These metrics are calculated using the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS), which is a data-driven tool that includes patient feedback and satisfaction ratings from Medicare-certified home health agencies.

The star ratings are based on the data collected by CMS from surveys of patients and families. They reflect the overall satisfaction with the care received by patients and their families. The HHCAHPS survey results are updated quarterly and are based on patient and family responses to the survey. In general, home health providers are rated high or excellent based on patient satisfaction. CMS uses the star ratings to help consumers compare different home health agencies, while also creating incentives for quality improvement.

CMS measures quality by evaluating the quality of patient care and reports them quarterly. Star ratings are meant to be general indicators of an agency’s performance and should be used in conjunction with other quality information. In the case of patient satisfaction, most home health agencies are “in the middle” in terms of overall quality. They average three and a half stars. Higher star ratings mean that the home health agency did better than the average, and lower star ratings indicate below average performance compared to other agencies.

Home health agencies should ensure that they meet OASIS collection obligations. Because the Home Health Compare quality measure scores are derived from these data, it is essential for home health agencies to make sure they submit accurate and timely data. This ensures that the star ratings are accurate and that agencies have a complete picture of the patient’s satisfaction. The results from the survey are based on random samples of patients. They provide an objective measure of quality care for consumers.

Timely initiation of care star rating

The quality of care a patient receives can be determined by the time in which he or she is discharged from a hospital. Similarly, timely initiation of care can help reduce the likelihood of readmissions and help hospitals implement quality and cost programs. Home health agencies should be careful to provide appropriate discharges for patients who are able to benefit from home health care. The following are five considerations for star ratings of home health agencies.

The quality of patient care measures will be part of the home health agency’s star rating report. CMS will distribute these reports to agencies approximately 3.5 months before Home Health Compare begins. Agencies will have several weeks to review the quality of patient care star rating reports and request revisions of the data if they believe it is inaccurate. After receiving the Preview Report, home health agencies can submit a request for CMS review.

The quality of patient care measures are designed to provide a summary of an agency’s performance and should be used with other quality information to make an informed decision. Most home health agencies are “in the middle” of the range, scoring three and a half stars across seven measures. The higher the star rating, the better, while a lower star rating means the agency performed below average in comparison to other agencies.

Quality of patient care star ratings are based on the patient’s experiences. The HHCAHPS measures include a patient’s satisfaction with the care they received from their home health agency. These quality measures are collected through a survey that is largely conducted by patients. This survey provides the data CMS needs to publish the Home Health Compare star ratings. The patient satisfaction rating should indicate a reasonable variation between home health agencies.

The patient survey star rating is based on responses from the CAHPS survey. It evaluates how well caregivers follow up with patients after they have been discharged. The star rating system also considers communication and outreach strategies. The response rate to a survey question is important because a patient’s satisfaction with a home health agency is a key factor in a company’s ability to earn a higher star rating.