One particular example of performance data that you can influence and improve through marketing is length of service. Studies show that longer LOS can be directly related to clinical issues and family satisfaction.

For instance, families who receive hospice care longer report receiving a greater portion of services and greater benefits - 95% of expected services for those on hospice care for three months compared to 80% of expected services for those on hospice for one month (Rickerson and colleagues, 2005). What's more, family caregivers with fewer days of hospice support are four times more likely to develop a major depressive disorder than those who had a longer LOS (Bradley and colleagues, 2004).

Therefore, increasing LOS is a meaningful area for assessment and improvement. At Transcend, we encourage our clients to set marketing goals for improving average length of service and median length of service, and to track progress regularly. Our flagship client, Hospice of Northwest Ohio, set a goal to increase their ALOS by 25% over three years. After implementing a marketing campaign designed to improve access and utilization, the client actually raised their ALOS by 68% in three years, far surpassing their goal. MLOS was also increased by 25% during the same period.

Another client in the southeast has increased their ALOS by 20% only one year after launching a similar campaign.

So while you may first think of QAPI in terms of assessing the clinical care and business operations of your organization, don't forget that market research data may also come into play - especially in identifying areas where you can improve performance through effective marketing.

NOTE: Special thanks to Tasha Beauchamp of elderpagesonline.com for contributing to this article.