Long-term Care Facility Variation in the Incidence of Pneumonia and Influenza

Abstract

Pneumonia and influenza (P&I) increase morbidity and mortality among older adults, especially those residing in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Facility-level characteristics may affect the risk of P&I beyond resident-level risk factors. However, the relationship between facility characteristics and P&I is poorly understood. To address this, we identified potentially modifiable facility-level characteristics that influence the incidence of P&I across LTCFs. We conducted a retrospective cohort study using 2013-2015 Medicare claims linked to Minimum Data Set and LTCF-level data. Short-stay (<100 days) and long-stay (100+ days) LTCF residents were followed for the first occurrence of hospitalization, LTCF discharge, Medicare disenrollment, or death. We calculated LTCF risk-standardized incidence rates (RSIRs) per 100 person-years for P&I hospitalizations by adjusting for over 30 resident-level demographic and clinical covariates using hierarchical logistic regression. We included 1,767,241 short-stay (13,683 LTCFs) and 922,863 long-stay residents (14,495 LTCFs). LTCFs with lower RSIRs had more licensed independent practitioners (nurse practitioners or physician's assistants) among short-stay (44.9% vs. 41.6%, p<0.001) and long-stay residents (47.4% vs. 37.9%, p<0.001), higher registered nurse hours/resident/day among short-stay and long-stay residents (Mean (SD): 0.5 (0.7) vs. 0.4 (0.4), p<0.001), and fewer residents for whom antipsychotics were prescribed among short-stay (21.4% (11.6) vs. 23.6% (13.2), p<0.001) and long-stay residents (22.2% (14.3) vs. 25.5% (15.0), p<0.001). LTCF characteristics may play an important role in preventing P&I hospitalizations. Hiring more registered nurses and licensed independent practitioners, increasing staffing hours, and higher quality care practices may be modifiable means of reducing P&I in LTCFs.