AHRQ Report Provides Comprehensive Definition of “Omissions of Care” in Nursing Homes

An AHRQ-funded team of experts has developed a comprehensive definition of omissions of care for nursing homes. Preventing adverse events and poor health outcomes for nursing home residents is an ongoing challenge for residents and staff. Residents’ complex needs, along with challenging working conditions for staff, increase the chance of residents experiencing harmful, yet avoidable, adverse events. While omissions of care have been cited frequently for contributing to subpar care, a comprehensive definition has not existed. The new definition, intended as a meaningful and actionable reference for researchers, nursing home residents and caregivers, states: “Omissions of care in nursing homes encompass situations when care—either clinical or nonclinical—is not provided for a resident and results in additional monitoring or intervention or increases the risk of an undesirable or adverse physical, emotional, or psychosocial outcome for the resident.” The definition was designed to guide quality improvement efforts, training and education for care providers and additional research. Access Understanding Omissions of Care in Nursing Homes.