[Prices and quality in nursing homes - first empirical results for Germany].

Objectives: This paper analyses on the basis of data from over 2 400 nursing homes the relationship between remuneration rates and quality for Germany. Other factors influencing this relationship are taken into account.Data about nursing homes are taken from the nursing home data base PAULA, which includes about 11 500 nursing homes.
Data and Methods: Data about quality of care in nursing homes are derived from the so-called transparency reports for residential long-term care (PVTS). In a linear regression framework the different quality measures are regressed on the average nursing home price. Control variables are inter alia ownership, size and location of the nursing homes.
Results: The analyses show a statistically significant positive correlation between remuneration rates and quality. Better quality is reflected in higher remuneration rates.
Conclusions: The results show a significant, but in actual size low relationship between quality and remunerations rates. The results cannot be interpreted as a causal relationship. Additionally, it is not possible to explain differences in nursing home prices over federal states with differences in quality.
(© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)