Continuity in Visiting Nurse Personnel Has Important Implications for the Patient Experience

Abstract

Continuity in health care personnel is an important component of high-quality care delivery. This study examines the extent to which continuity in nursing personnel is associated with Home Health Care Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey patient experience ratings. We examined the survey responses and administrative records of 7,196 patients served by a large home health agency between 2009 and 2014. Multivariate models were used to estimate associations between nursing continuity, measured with the Bice-Boxerman index, and five domains of patient experience ratings. Results indicated that patients’ overall ratings of care, willingness to recommend the agency to family/friends, perceived care coordination, and levels of communication with providers were positively associated with nursing continuity. No relationship was observed between continuity in nursing personnel and patients’ perceptions of safety, comfort, and education.