ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This study was designed to develop quality outcome indicators for nursing homes and community-based home care that would contribute to an appropriate evaluation and improvement of quality of long term care in Korea. METHODS: The preliminary quality indicators of long term care were developed from a literature review and clinical expert panel. A content validity testing was done using a panel of experts who were selected from academic and clinical field of long-term care. The final quality indicators were confirmed after application in four nursing homes and four home care agencies to test clinical validity. RESULTS: The preliminary quality indicators consisted of 3 domains and 19 indicators. The final quality indicators were composed of 4 domains and 17 indicators. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the feasibility of outcome quality indicators in long term care. These quality indicators can be effectively used to evaluate the quality of nursing home and home care and to improve the quality of care in the Korean long-term care system.