AHRQ: Understanding omissions of care in nursing homes (October 2019)

Summary

Adverse events and poor health outcomes are continuing challenges for nursing home residents and staff. Research has shown that many resident harms are avoidable and may be caused by situations in which residents do not receive needed care, often called omissions of care.

Omissions of care research in nursing home settings is limited and definitions of omissions of care vary. Therefore, the US Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has developed a definition of omissions of care for nursing homes intended to be meaningful to stakeholders, including residents and caregivers, and actionable for research or improving quality of care.

They developed the definition through a literature review and feedback from subject matter experts and stakeholders in the US. To develop and describe the definition, project staff produced an environmental scan and final report, including resources to help nursing homes operationalise and apply the definition of omissions of care.