CMS to Publish Results of Nursing Home Complaint Investigations on Web Site

CMS on Monday began publishing on the agency's Web site the results of investigations into complaints filed against nursing homes. According to CMS officials, the agency will post problems found at nursing homes that federal inspectors have confirmed in onsite complaint investigations. CMS will include the results of the investigations, as well as the results of routine inspections, in the Nursing Home Compare area of the Web site. CMS can launch complaint investigations at any time and conducts routine inspections of nursing homes every nine to 15 months. Nursing Home Compare includes the results of the three most recent routine inspections. "Our goal is to give consumers the information they need to make informed decisions about their health care," HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson said, adding, "This new complaint information builds on the quality and inspection information already on Nursing Home Compare to help families choose the right nursing home for their needs" (CMS release, 5/13). For more iHealth & Technology stories, visit iHealthBeat.org, a new Web publication sponsored by the California HealthCare Foundation.