Quality reporting in long-term care facilities—information requirements, search strategies, and information sources for persons in need of care and their family members

Abstract

Persons in need of care and their family members should be able to realistically assess and compare the quality of care services. Recent legislation therefore states that the current procedure to assess and present care quality has to be developed further. While quality measurements can be informed by the literature, knowledge on suitable formats for presenting quality information that is suitable for care-receiving persons and their families is highly fragmentary. The “Development of quality reporting in long-term care” project, a cooperation between the Charité, the federal association of the AOK (AOK-Bundesverband), and the Center for Quality in Care (ZQP), provides the current findings on the information requirements of persons in need of care and their family members when choosing a care facility. Aspects related to nursing staff have a particularly high relevance, e. g. respectful behavior of the personnel, well-trained caregivers, sufficient staff density, seldom changes in the personnel of the institution, and thoroughly conducted care that is adjusted to individual needs. These criteria have been given the highest relevance by persons in need of care as well as their family members. The findings hint at the necessity to provide comprehensive and detailed information about the staffing of care facilities in the future: for example, on the staff ratio and qualifications. Apart from that, comprehensive knowledge on formats to present information is urgently needed – taking into account the needs of care-dependent persons and their families and how information can be optimally processed.