Training and Support Programme on Data-driven Quality Development for Swiss Long-Term Care Facilities (NIP-Q-UPGRADE Subaim 2.6)

NCT07068009 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: NIP-Q-UPGRADE WP 2.6
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 25
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 3

Brief Summary

Since 2019, long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in Switzerland have been required by the Federal Insurance Law (KVG, Art. 59a) to report data for the calculation and public reporting of medical quality indicators (MQIs) in four clinical domains: polypharmacy, pain, malnutrition, and physical restraints. This data serves both for monitoring care quality at the national level through public reporting and for internal quality development. Contextual analysis showed that various quality development methods are already known and used in Swiss LTCFs. However, significant challenges remain: limited resources, time constraints, and restricted access to MQI data hinder effective use. Facilities reported a greater need for support in using MQI data. They also expressed interest in peer networking, structured support for applying quality methods (such as Plan Do Check Act cycles (PDCA)), and practical tools such as training, best-practice examples, and additional resources. Residents and relatives also expressed a strong interest in being more involved in decision-making and care quality discussions. The overall aim of the current study is to test a quality development training programme that supports LTCFs in using MQI data for continuous data-driven care quality development. The study is structured into three thematic areas:

1. 1.MQI Results Literacy - Supporting LTCFs in interpreting MQI reports and benchmarks.
2. 2.Impactful Actions - Supporting LTCFs to translate MQI results into concrete quality development actions using PDCA cycles.
3. 3.Sparking Culture - Integrating data-driven quality development into everyday practice and fostering a culture of continuous development, with a strong emphasis on strengthening the involvement of residents, relatives, and leadership.

Conditions

Training; Quality of Care; Quality Indicators, Health Care; Long Term Care; Pain Assessment; Malnutrition in Elderly; Weight Loss; Physical Restraints; Benchmark

Keywords

quality indicators; long-term care; data-driven quality development; implementation; NIP-Q-UPGRADE; aged; leadership training; pilot study; benchmark

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (19)

• Acceptability of the training and support program - Survey

  Acceptability of the training and support components will be assessed in a survey with Acceptability of Intervention Measure (AIM), a 4-item instrument measuring the acceptability of an intervention with a total score (4-20): higher scores mean a better acceptability; through a survey targeting quality leaders, managers, care staff, and broader facility staff in participating facilities.

  LTCF QUALITY LEADERS, MANAGEMENT, CARE AND BROADER STAFF: Month 3-4

• Acceptability of the training and support program - qualitative semi-structured interviews with managers

  Acceptability of the training and support components will be assessed in qualitative semi-structured interviews with managers.

  LTCF MANAGEMENT: Month 3-4

• Acceptability of the training and support program - focus groups

  Acceptability of the training and support components will be assessed in focus groups with quality leaders and care staff.

  LTCF QUALITY LEADERS & CARE STAFF: Month 3-4

• Acceptability of the training and support program - qualitative semi-structured interviews with trainers

  Acceptability of the training and support components will be assessed in semi-structured qualitative interviews with trainers after each training unit.

  Week 1, 2, 4, 6, 8-10, 12-13 (After each training unit)

• Feasibility of the training and support program - Survey

  Feasibility of training and support components will be assessed in a survey with Feasibility of Intervention Measure (FIM), a 4-item instrument measuring the feasibility of an intervention with a total score (4-20): higher scores mean a better feasibility ; through a survey targeting quality leaders, managers, care staff, and broader facility staff.

  LTCF QUALITY LEADERS, MANAGEMENT, CARE AND BROADER STAFF: Month 3-4

• Feasibility of the training and support program - qualitative semi-structured interviews with managers

  Feasibility of the training and support components will be assessed in qualitative semi-structured interviews with managers.

  LTCF MANAGEMENT: Month 3-4

• Feasibility of the training and support program - focus groups

  Feasibility of the training and support components will be assessed in focus groups with quality leaders and care staff.

  LTCF QUALITY LEADERS & CARE STAFF: Month 3-4

• Feasibility of the training and support program - qualitative semi-structured interviews with trainers

  Feasibility of the training and support components will be assessed in qualitative semi-structured interviews with trainers after each training unit.

  Week 1, 2, 4, 6, 8-10, 12-13 (After each training unit)

• Implementation fidelity - survey

  Degree of fidelity to each component (yes, partial, no) will be measured using a survey targeting quality leaders, managers, care staff, and broader facility staff.

  LTCF QUALITY LEADERS, MANAGEMENT, CARE AND BROADER STAFF: Month 3-4

• Implementation fidelity - qualitative interviews semi-structured with managers

  Implementation fidelity of the training and support components will be assessed in qualitative semi-structured interviews with managers.

  LTCF MANAGEMENT: Month 3-4

• Implementation fidelity - focus groups

  Implementation fidelity of the training and support components will be assessed in focus groups with quality leaders and care staff.

  LTCF QUALITY LEADERS & CARE STAFF: Month 3-4

• Implementation fidelity - qualitative semi-structured interviews with trainers

  Implementation fidelity of the training and support components will be assessed in qualitative semi-structured interviews with trainers after each training unit.

  Week 1, 2, 4, 6, 8-10, 12-13 (After each training unit)

• Barriers to the implementation of the toolbox - focus groups

  Barriers to the implementation will be explored in focus groups with quality leaders and care staff, and categorized according to the Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research (CFIR).

  LTCF QUALITY LEADERS & CARE STAFF: Month 3-4

• Barriers to the implementation of the toolbox - qualitative semi-structured interviews

  Barriers to the implementation will be explored in qualitativ semi-structured interviews with managers, and categorized according to the Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research (CFIR).

  LTCF MANAGEMENT: Month 3-4

• Barriers to the implementation of the toolbox - qualitative semi-structured interviews with trainers

  Barriers to the implementation will be explored in qualitativ semi-structured interviews with trainers after each training unit, and categorized according to the Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research (CFIR).

  Week 1, 2, 4, 6, 8-10, 12-13 (After each training unit)

• Facilitators to the implementation of the toolbox - focus group

  Facilitators to the implementation will be explored in focus groups with quality leaders and care staff, and categorized according to the Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research (CFIR).

  LTCF QUALITY LEADERS & CARE STAFF: Month 3-4

• Facilitators to the implementation of the toolbox - qualitative semi-structured interviews

  Facilitators to the implementation will be explored in qualitative semi-structured interviews with managers, and categorized according to the Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research (CFIR).

  LTCF MANAGEMENT: Month 3-4

• Facilitators to the implementation of the toolbox - qualitative semi-structured interviews with trainers

  Facilitators to the implementation will be explored in qualitative semi-structured interviews with trainers after each training unit, and categorized according to the Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research (CFIR).

  Week 1, 2, 4, 6, 8-10, 12-13 (After each training unit)

• Sum of costs associated with implementation of the toolkit in Swiss francs

  Costs will be calculated based on time spent on implementation activities per staff group with corresponding hourly salary estimate, recorded in an activity logbook

  Monthly up to 3 months

Study Arms (1)

Training and Support Program on Data-driven Quality Development

EXPERIMENTAL

All participating facilities will be offered the same training and support program

Behavioral: Training and Support Programme on Data-driven Quality Development

Interventions

Training and Support Programme on Data-driven Quality Development BEHAVIORAL

The training and support program uses a train-the-trainer strategy. The research team: * develop training and support materials * organize an e-mail helpdesk support * organize and conduct the scientific examination The external training providers: \- train the management representatives and the quality leaders. The quality leader and the manager: * elaborate and test a quality development project based on one MQI with PDCA cycle * animate interprofessional meetings * organize a collective workshop with residents and relatives * engage residents and relatives in individual conversations by testing a brochure

Training and Support Program on Data-driven Quality Development

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Trainers:
• with competence in training staff of LTCFs
• with knowledge. on the current MQIs and PDCA cycle.
• Long-term care facilities:
• with a cantonal recognition as a residential long-term care facility
• willing to implement the training and support program
• which can nominate at least one quality leader and one management representative
• Quality leaders:
• Long-term care facility employees motivated to take up the role
• having sufficient knowledge of the residents, infrastructure and care processes in the facility.
• Ideally with experience in leadership, coordination, experience in care, datas, e.g., nurse, nurse expert, quality manager, clinical nurse specialist.
• Management representative:
• any level of management staff in long-term care facility e.g., Members of the direction, health, director, nursing managers, ward leaders, facility or department managers.
• directly involved in supporting the implementation of the toolkit or exposed to its content
• Nursing and care staff:

You may not qualify if:

• \. LTCFs that are participants of the study "Data Quality and National Quality Indicators in Long-term Care Facilities: a Validation Study and Evaluation Study"

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Institut et Haute Ecole de la Santé la Source: lead
• University of Basel: collaborator
• University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland: collaborator

Study Sites (3)

Institut für Pflegewissenschaft - Nursing Science (INS), University of Basel

Basel, Basel, 4056, Switzerland

Location

Institute and School of Nursing La Source, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland

Lausanne, Canton of Vaud, 1004, Switzerland

Location

Department of Business Economics, Health and Social Care, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI)

Manno, Canton Ticino, 6928, Switzerland

Location

Related Links

• Related Info
• Related Info

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Weight Loss

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Body Weight Changes; Body Weight; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Nathalie I.H. Wellens, Prof. Dr.

  Institute and School of Nursing La Source, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Franziska Zúñiga, Prof.Dr.

  University of Basel

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Prof. Dr. Nathalie I.H. Wellens

Model Details: The study addresses long-term care facilities

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 10, 2025
• First Posted: July 16, 2025
• Study Start: March 21, 2025
• Primary Completion: June 30, 2025
• Study Completion: November 30, 2025
• Last Updated: July 16, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CH (3)