Image of nurses' hands at computer keyboard

Nursing homes and long-term care facilities in Missouri showed significant care improvements and cost savings over the last three years as a result of the Quality Improvement Program of Missouri (QIPMO), according to an analysis of the program.

The program is responsible for $6 million in savings to nursing homes across the state-more than 10 times the cost of implementing the program, according to researchers at the University of Missouri. The program works by pairing long-term care facilities with gerontological nursing experts from the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing, who offer care planning and clinical consultations to the facilities. Quality of care improved for the seniors at facilities that participated in the program, and concurrent care costs were reduced, according to the study.

For each year of the program, statewide savings exceeded the costs by more than $1 million, according to the study. The cost for a facility to participate in QIPMO averaged less than $3 per bed. The full study will appear in the July/August issue of Geriatric Nursing.