SUNDAY, Jan. 16 (HealthDayNews) -- A new tool to assess the quality of home health care for the elderly and people with disabilities has been developed by an international team that includes University of Michigan researchers.

The tool is designed to be used by consumers, government and home-care agencies to improve home care and to provide useful feedback about it.

The assessment is based on 22 indicators that look at processes such as administering flu vaccine, providing physical or occupational therapy, and reviewing patient medication and outcomes. Details about the assessment tool appear in the current issue of The Gerontologist.

Using this type of tool to collect data about home-care performance is important because home-care agencies often aren't aware of their strengths and weaknesses, according to the report.

"You need to know where you are so that it's sustainable and so best practices can be shared. You also need a clear view of where you need to improve," team member Brant Fries, a professor of health management and policy at the University of Michigan's School of Public Health and a faculty member at the school's Institute of Gerontology, said in a prepared statement.

"Home care serves as an important link among primary care, acute care, long-term care and mental health services. Quality improvements in home care may benefit the entire health-care system," Fries said.

More information

The American Medical Association has more about home care.