AMDA Foundation - QI Partnership Leaders Share Lessons, Plan Next Steps

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Vol XVI, Jul `05

QI Partnership Leaders Share Lessons, Plan Next Steps

Vol XVI, Jul `05

There has been good news and bad news when it comes to recruiting facilities for the Foundation's LTC-Quality Improvement (QI) Partnership study. "A newer generation of administrators has more appreciation for research, especially if these facility leaders have informed medical directors," said Marcia Yesko, RN, MA, NHA, the project's state nurse coordinator in Pennsylvania (one of the study's pilot states). However, she noted, there aren't enough of these enlightened leaders; and attempts to sign-up facilities met with many barriers. Nonetheless, she explained, the project has signed up 6 facilities in PA and is moving forward with data collection in the state. Yesko suggested that there is much that researchers can learn from her recruitment efforts. Here are some of the barriers she encountered and the lessons she has learned:

It often is difficult to get family members to understand the benefits of research. Investigators must be prepared to work with families and help them understand why the study is important and what impact results may have on patient care.
If the medical director and administrator buy-in but attending physicians don't, there are likely to be delays. It is important to have "champions who can bring hesitant stakeholders on board."
Nursing facilities associated with universities or other teaching centers are more "tuned in" to research. "The academic connection makes it easier for researchers to become a part of their environment," Yesko explained.
People don't always return phone calls. "Be prepared to be persistent and creative in your efforts to recruit facilities," offered Yesko.

Part of the recruitment challenge is a broader issue. Yesko said, "Long term care doesn't do a good job of advertising research results to its own. We need to do a better job of promoting research results and their impact on outcomes. We need to remind administrators and practitioners why it is important to be involved in LTC research studies."

Yesko spoke at a recent meeting of the LTC-QI National Quality Coalition in Columbia, MD. See next month's e-newsletter for a summary of this meeting and quotes from key leaders involved in this Foundation project.