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| Conduct focus groups with consumers (residents and families) of nursing home care to define and develop a theoretical model of nursing home care quality from their point of view |
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This exploratory study was undertaken to discover the defining dimensions of nursing home care quality from the view point of consumers of nursing home care and to propose a conceptual model to guide nursing home quality research and development of instruments to measure nursing home care quality. Ten focus groups were conducted in five Missouri communities (two urban and three rural). Focus groups were videotaped and transcribed for analysis. A naturalistic inductive analysis of the transcribed content was completed using the method of constant comparison and analytic induction. Two core variables (staffing and care) and several related concepts emerged from the data. Using the core variables, related concepts, and detailed descriptions from participants, a model of nursing home care quality from the consumer perspective emerged from the analysis.
The seven dimensions of the consumer multidimensional model of nursing home care quality are: staff, care, family involvement, communication, environment, home, and cost. The dimensions are presented in detail and sample descriptive statements illustrate the multidimensional nature of nursing home care quality. The views of consumers and families are compared with the results of a previous study of providers of nursing home services. An integrated multidimensional theoretical model is presented for testing and evaluation. Understanding the dimensions of quality nursing home care is an important step toward achieving quality. We are testing an instrument based on the model to observe and score the dimensions of nursing home care quality. Validity and reliability studies using the instrument are in process and results are encouraging. Rantz, M.J., Zwygart-Stauffacher, M., Popejoy, L., Grando, V., Mehr, D., Hicks, L., Conn, V., Wipke-Tevis, D., Porter, R., Scott, J., Bostick, J., & Maas, M. (1999). Nursing home care quality: A multidimensional theoretical model integrating the views of consumers and providers. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 14(1), 16-37. |