Understanding how nursing homes can sustain quality improvements
Official title: Understanding Pathways to Improved Nursing Home Quality: A Mixed-Methods Study of the Special Focus Facilities
Funded at University of Iowa · NIH-11426210 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies why some nursing homes keep improving after a special oversight program and how those improvements affect residents, staff, and finances.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Iowa NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Iowa City, United States) |
| Project start | September 2, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $499,024 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AG102618-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11426210 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older adults living in or at risk of staying in U.S. nursing homes, families, and staff involved in elder care quality improvement.
✕Less likely to help
Facilities or individuals not involved in or affected by nursing home quality programs may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
If funded, researchers will look at nursing homes that took part in a program designed to fix quality issues and figure out which factors help or hinder long-term gains. They will use resident data from 2011–2023 and mix numbers with interviews of state agencies and nursing home staff to understand what sustains or undermines improvements. The project will compare facilities’ health deficiencies, resident outcomes, staffing, and finances over time to see how sustained changes relate to overall care. The goal is to identify practical pathways that facilities can follow to maintain higher quality after oversight ends.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Patients in nursing homes could experience safer, higher-quality care and better health outcomes through more durable quality improvements.
How similar studies have gone: Previous programs show some improvements, but there is limited evidence on long-term sustainability and broader outcomes.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Iowa
Iowa City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sharma, Hari — University of Iowa
- Study coordinator: Sharma, Hari
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.