Studies: Five-Star Ratings Linked To Consumer Demand, Nurse Training

​Consumers increasingly are more likely to choose a skilled nursing care center if it has a Five-Star Rating of five stars, according to a recent study by Health Services Research. In its study, “Changes in Consumer Demand Following Public Reporting of Summary Quality Ratings: An Evaluation in Nursing Homes,” Rachel Werner, PhD; R. Tamara Konetzka, PhD; and Daniel Polsky, PhD, found that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Five-Star Quality Rating System ratings have had a significant effect on consumer choice of high- and low-rated skilled nursing care centers.