Assessing cost effects of nursing-home-based geriatric nurse practitioners.

Employment of geriatric nurse practitioners (GNPs) is one strategy to improve nursing home care. The effects of GNPs on costs and profitability of nursing homes and on costs of patient medical service use outside the nursing home are examined. Employment of GNPs does not adversely affect nursing home costs or significantly affect profits. There is some evidence of cost savings in medical service use for newly admitted patients but no evidence of savings for continuing residents. GNPs reduce the use of hospital services for both groups, and the reduction is statistically significant for newly admitted patients.