Part of a quality improvement program is determining whether a facility routinely follows evidence-based clinical best practice guidelines. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have designed a free computer software program that allows nursing homes to abstract medical record data and review adherence to recommended processes of care (POC) on four clinical topics: depression, pain, physical restraints and pressure ulcers. This tool is called the Nursing Home Improvement and Feedback Tool (NHIFT, pronounced “nifty”).

The abstracted data is uploaded to QualityNet where reports are generated that allow a home to compare their performance with peers across the country. Additionally, they can receive individualized feedback on each process that will allow them to identify a focus area for quality improvement. QualityNet.org is the only web site that is secure, confidential and approved by CMS.

For quality improvement resources and strategies, please visit the NHIFT Documents and Links section.