Study of Medicare Home Health Practice Variations: Final Report

The objective of this report is to summarize the findings from the quantitative and qualitative methods used to answer the key study questions. The report provides a description of the states, agencies, and patients that participated in the study. Quantitative data are used to (1) examine the influence of patient, provider, agency, and market/regulatory factors on practice patterns, (2) explore the impact of practice patterns on length of stay, and (3) identify the effect of practice patterns on patient outcomes. Practice patterns and decision making in home health care are explored using data from focus group and case study interviews. Finally, qualitative data regarding provider perspectives on IPS, a major provision of the BBA, and other changes in the field of home health care are summarized. [316 PDF pages]