Novel
Practices that show potential to achieve desirable public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting and are in the process of generating evidence of effectiveness or may not yet be tested.

Nursing Home Staff Networks and COVID-19

Chen, M.K., Chevalier, J.A., Long, E.F.

Release Date:

White Paper/Brief

Data Collection and Analysis
Organizational Change/ Development
Policy Change/ Development
Healthcare Access and Quality
Tools Included
Outside U.S.
ACCESS RESOURCE
Network of people

Partnerships and Collaboration

An early report issued by the CDC identified staff members working in multiple nursing homes as a likely source of spread of COVID-19. The authors performed the first large-scale analysis of nursing home connections via shared staff and contractors. Using a large-scale analysis of smartphone location data, they found that 49 percent of COVID-19 cases among nursing home residents was attributable to staff movement between facilities. Traditional federal regulatory metrics of nursing home quality were unimportant in predicting outbreaks. The results provide evidence for a policy recommendation of compensating nursing home workers to work at only one home and limit cross-traffic across homes.

Resource Details

Outcomes of Interest

Reduction of Health Disparities

Priority Population(s)

People Living in Congregate Housing

Setting(s) of Implementation

Long-term Care Facility

Geographic Area of Implementation

Implementation Period

2020