The Evolution of Nursing Home Report Cards.

Nursing home report cards can be potentially key tools for disseminating information to consumers. However, few accounts of state-based nursing home report cards are available. In the research presented here, the scale, scope, utility, and changes over time in these nursing home report cards are described. This article finds that the number of report cards has increased from 24 in 2003 to 29 in 2009. The quality information presented varies considerably; however, deficiency citations are still the most frequently reported quality indicators. The utility of report cards varies considerably. The authors present their opinions of features that seem most conducive for consumer use of these report cards.