How often is data updated on Nursing Home Compare and what do the different dates posted on the website reflect?

September 20, 2009 by admin

Nursing Home Compare is updated monthly. There are several dates reflected on Nursing Home Compare: The time frame captured for each of the quality measures is reflected in the footnote found beneath the bar graphs for each of the quality measures. This data is updated quarterly. The footnote below the quality measures reads as follows:

• For the long-term quality measures: This data is from "mm/dd/yy" through "mm/dd/yy". It is collected on each resident and submitted by the nursing home using the Minimum Data Set (MDS).
• For the temporary (short) stay quality measures: This data is from "mm/dd/yy" through "mm/dd/yy". It is collected on each resident and submitted by the nursing home using the Minimum Data Set (MDS).

Please note that the dates in the footnote will vary depending upon the data collection period. Data Last Updated date listed at the bottom of any page that contains dynamic data (data that is pulled from the database) reflects the date of the most recent data extraction from the Online Survey, Certification, and Reporting (OSCAR) database. This data extraction captures any additions or changes entered into the OSCAR database by the State survey agencies prior to that date. The OSCAR data consists of the nursing home characteristics, inspection results, and the nursing staff hours. This data extraction usually occurs on the first business day of each month. The Date Last Updated date listed at the bottom of any page that contains only static text reflects the date that the text on the page has been updated. This date can be much older than other dates listed on Nursing Home Compare since the information on these pages is explanatory in nature and does not require frequent revisions.