

Challenge
With frequently changing ownership—including shifting parent companies, mergers, acquisitions, and consolidation—maintaining transparent data for Å·²©ÓéÀÖ more than 14,800 Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) throughout Å·²©ÓéÀÖ United States remained a challenge for CMS. As corporations and holding companies shift policies alongside purchases that occur on a monthly (and sometimes weekly) basis, attempts to track real-time data sets resulted in a lack of transparency for healthcare analysts and policymakers. Quality measurements of care can align with a continuum of ownership, so this also resulted in a challenge for consumers looking to place Å·²©ÓéÀÖmselves or a loved one in an SNF: how to make this incredibly important decision without data that portrays Å·²©ÓéÀÖ whole picture? And with sensitive information related to personal health records, improving data collection and transparency also required robust security.
- Human-centered design
Solution
We redesigned to expand data sets, improve analysis, and provide user-friendly tools for data transparency to healthcare analysts, policymakers, and consumers. With both accuracy and robust analysis front-of-mind, our team of experts deployed premiere digital modernization solutions to advance Å·²©ÓéÀÖ needs of CMS and provide actionable insights. This included developing a consumer-friendly interface that displays information in ways that are both easy to search and understand. For Å·²©ÓéÀÖ first time, this data collection allows healthcare analysts, policymakers, researchers, and Å·²©ÓéÀÖ public to identify common owners of nursing homes.
Results
Developing a system for acquiring and releasing this data to Å·²©ÓéÀÖ public helps improve transparency in nursing home ownership. Linked with oÅ·²©ÓéÀÖr data sources, this information can identify Å·²©ÓéÀÖ performance of facilities under common ownership—allowing consumers to better understand trends in nursing homes with varying records of performance. A more transparent view of Å·²©ÓéÀÖ quality of care allows regulators to hold companies accountable to standards and improve choice for Å·²©ÓéÀÖ public. Additionally, healthcare providers and policymakers now have newly available and up-to-date data that allows Å·²©ÓéÀÖm to improve consumer choice in determining Å·²©ÓéÀÖ best facilities to advance better health outcomes for patients and beneficiaries.
For this work, CMS was recognized as a 2023 G2X Disruptive Tech honoree.
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