Applying RUG-III in Japanese long-term care facilities

Applying RUG-III in Japanese long-term care facilities

Author:
Publication type: 
Journal Article
Year: 
1994
Journal/Series title: 
Gerontologist
Volume number: 
34
Issue: 
5
Pages: 
628-39
Abstract: 

A U.S. nursing home case-mix system, Resource Utilization Group, Version III (RUG-III), was tested in a variety of Japanese long-term care facilities. Staff time and resident characteristics were measured for a sample of 871 patients. Acceptable reliability was found for items defining RUG-III, and the system explained 44% of the variance in wage-weighted staff time (cost). Also, Japanese and U.S. costs had similar patterns across RUG-III categories. However, there was wide discrepancy between the stated purpose of Japanese facilities and their patient populations, and the current payment mechanism did not reflect actual use of resources.