2. Methods
2.1. Survey process
We mailed questionnaires to a random sample of nursing
homes listed in the official web-based national dataset
in October, 2009 [16]. Of the 6176 facilities listed in
July, 2009, we excluded 243 nursing homes which were
established in year 2008 because our objective lay in investigating
discharges due to death occurring in that fiscal year
(from April till March of the following year). Of the remaining
5933, we selected 653 (11%) which was the maximum
number that could be investigated on our research grant.
The survey was composed of two parts: the first on the
facility characteristics and the second on the residents who
had died in that fiscal year. The nursing home director was
asked assign the staff responsible to respond to each part.
The questions asked were essentially the same as the survey
made in 2002 in order to facilitate comparison [19]. The
survey was approved by the institutional review board of
our medical school.