Table 1.

Summary of Nursing Home Compare Changes for Long-Stay Measures

Timing	Change
October 1998	Launch of Nursing Home Compare; website contains facility characteristics (e.g., ownership) and health-related deficiencies
June 2000	Nurse staffing and nurse aide data added to Nursing Home Compare website
April 2002	Nursing Home Quality Initiative (NHQI) launched in six pilot states adding quality indicators measuring the percentage of residents with the following: loss of ability in basic daily activities; infections; pain; pressure sores (high risk); pressure sores (low risk); physical restraints; and excessive weight loss
November 2002	NHQI launched nationally (using all the pilot measures except the weight loss measure)
January 2004	Quality measures added to the NHQI include the percentage of residents who had the following characteristics: spent most of their time in bed or in a chair; ability to move about in and around their room got worse; have become more depressed or anxious; lose control of their bowels or bladder (low risk); have/had a catheter inserted and left in their bladder
November 2004	Weight loss measure added to the Nursing Home Compare website
December 2008	Nursing Home Compare adds a five-star rating system with an overall star rating and then specific star ratings based on the facility's inspection, staffing, and quality of care