VA nursing home compare metrics as an indicator of skilled nursing facility quality for veterans.

These findings suggest comparisons of 1-star and 5-star CLCs may provide meaningful information for Veterans making decisions about post-acute care. Identifying ways to alter the star ratings so they are differentially associated with outcomes meaningful to Veterans at each level is essential. We found that 1-star facilities had higher rates of 30-day unplanned hospital readmission/death, and lower rates of 100-day successful community discharges compared to 5-star facilities. Yet, like past work on CMS Nursing Home Compare ratings, these relationships were found to be inconsistent or not meaningful across all star levels. CLC Compare may provide useful information for discharge and organizational planning, with some limitations.