Mroz, Prusynski, and Co-authors Publish Two Articles on Skilled Nursing Facilities and Patient Outcomes
Posted: 10/12/2023 (CSDE Research)
CSDE Affiliates Tracy M. Mroz (Rehabilitation Medicine), Rachel Prusynski (Physical Therapy), and co-authors published two articles that examine patient outcomes in the context of skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). The first article “Current Evidence on the Impact of Medicare Payment Policy on Stroke Rehabilitation in Skilled Nursing Facilities” is published in Current Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Reports, where the authors focus on patients recovering from stroke. Patients recovering from stroke benefit from frequent, multi-disciplinary therapies in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). As a major driver of spending, rehabilitation in SNFs is vulnerable to scrutiny from payers including Medicare. This review explored impacts of current payment programs (Patient Driven Payment Model, Bundled Payments for Care Improvement Advanced, Accountable Care Organizations, and Medicare Advantage) on access and outcomes of rehabilitation in SNFs after stroke. The authors’ second article “Skilled Nursing Facility Changes in Ownership and Short-Stay Medicare Patient Outcomes” is published in JAMA Network Open. In this study, the authors examine what types of skilled nursing facilities (SNF) change ownership, and are SNF sales associated with short-stay patient outcomes? In this cohort study of 11 004 SNFs, urban, for-profit, and chain SNFs with lower staffing ratings and more Medicaid patients were more likely to change ownership. Ownership change was associated with short-term increases in emergency department visits but was not associated with hospital readmissions or community discharge rates. These findings suggest that SNF ownership changes may be a symptom, rather than a cause, of lower quality care for short-stay patients.