Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Emergency department and urgent care services
2023 National CAH Quality Inventory & Assessment National Report
Presents a high-level summary of key data points from the October-December 2023 National Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Quality Inventory and Assessment. Includes data on CAH system affiliation; median average daily census and emergency department volume; hospital inpatient, behavioral health and specialty care, and outpatient and other service lines; and CAH quality payment model participation.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Robert Barclay, Madeleine Pick
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Presents a high-level summary of key data points from the October-December 2023 National Critical Access Hospital (CAH) Quality Inventory and Assessment. Includes data on CAH system affiliation; median average daily census and emergency department volume; hospital inpatient, behavioral health and specialty care, and outpatient and other service lines; and CAH quality payment model participation.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Robert Barclay, Madeleine Pick
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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FH Healthcare Indicators and FH Medical Price Index 2024: An Annual View of Place of Service Trends and Medical Pricing
White paper exploring changes in healthcare utilization, demographic and geographic factors, diagnoses, costs, and procedures. Features statistics including usage of retail clinics and telehealth from 2017-2022; and urgent care, ambulatory surgery centers, and emergency rooms from 2013-2022. Includes comparisons of utilization of each service type by urban and rural location.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: FAIR Health
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White paper exploring changes in healthcare utilization, demographic and geographic factors, diagnoses, costs, and procedures. Features statistics including usage of retail clinics and telehealth from 2017-2022; and urgent care, ambulatory surgery centers, and emergency rooms from 2013-2022. Includes comparisons of utilization of each service type by urban and rural location.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: FAIR Health
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy: Mandated Report: Rural Emergency Hospitals: Chapter 15
Provides an overview of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation. Discusses the evolution of Medicare's support for rural hospitals through payment policies and the impact of declining inpatient volumes on rural hospitals' financial sustainability. Describes the characteristics of hospitals that converted to REH status in 2023, the first year of the designation.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Provides an overview of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation. Discusses the evolution of Medicare's support for rural hospitals through payment policies and the impact of declining inpatient volumes on rural hospitals' financial sustainability. Describes the characteristics of hospitals that converted to REH status in 2023, the first year of the designation.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Office for the Advancement of Telehealth (OAT) 2020-2024 Telehealth Network Grant Program (TNGP) Performance Improvement and Measurement System (PIMS): Summary Report for Program Year 3 (September 1, 2022 - August 31, 2023)
Summarizes findings from the first three years of the 2020-2024 Telehealth Network Grant Program (TNGP), which aims to promote tele-emergency services by enhancing telehealth networks to deliver 24-hour emergency department (ED) consultation services via telehealth to rural providers without emergency care specialists. Presents data on grantee network characteristics, the number of originating and distant sites, specialty areas, averted transfers, ED and hospital readmissions, other uses of the telehealth network, and more.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Georgia Health Policy Center, Office for the Advancement of Telehealth
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Summarizes findings from the first three years of the 2020-2024 Telehealth Network Grant Program (TNGP), which aims to promote tele-emergency services by enhancing telehealth networks to deliver 24-hour emergency department (ED) consultation services via telehealth to rural providers without emergency care specialists. Presents data on grantee network characteristics, the number of originating and distant sites, specialty areas, averted transfers, ED and hospital readmissions, other uses of the telehealth network, and more.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Georgia Health Policy Center, Office for the Advancement of Telehealth
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Telemedicine vs Telephone Consultations and Medication Prescribing Errors Among Referring Physicians: A Cluster Randomized Crossover Trial
Compared 696 acutely ill children in 15 community and rural California emergency departments receiving telephone or video consultations to determine differences in physician-related medication errors. Discusses the impact of telehealth on healthcare quality and remote acute care.
Author(s): James P. Marcin, Monica K. Lieng, Jamie Mouzoon, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(2)
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
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Compared 696 acutely ill children in 15 community and rural California emergency departments receiving telephone or video consultations to determine differences in physician-related medication errors. Discusses the impact of telehealth on healthcare quality and remote acute care.
Author(s): James P. Marcin, Monica K. Lieng, Jamie Mouzoon, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(2)
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
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Opioid Stewardship Program Implementation in Rural and Critical Access Hospitals in Arizona
Assesses the implementation of 11 opioid stewardship program (OSP) elements at 17 Arizona Critical Access Hospitals. Compares data between the emergency and inpatient departments and analyzes trends. Discusses standardization of OSPs and both preventing and treating opioid misuse disorder.
Author(s): Benjamin R. Brady, Bianca SantaMaria, Kathryn Tucker Ortiz y Pino, Bridget S. Murphy
Citation: Journal of Opioid Management, 20(1), 21-30
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
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Assesses the implementation of 11 opioid stewardship program (OSP) elements at 17 Arizona Critical Access Hospitals. Compares data between the emergency and inpatient departments and analyzes trends. Discusses standardization of OSPs and both preventing and treating opioid misuse disorder.
Author(s): Benjamin R. Brady, Bianca SantaMaria, Kathryn Tucker Ortiz y Pino, Bridget S. Murphy
Citation: Journal of Opioid Management, 20(1), 21-30
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
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Trends in Emergency Department Visits Among People Younger Than Age 65 by Insurance Status: United States, 2010–2021
Provides data on people younger than 65 who visited emergency rooms from 2010-2021 by insurance status, with further data breakdowns by age, sex, and metro versus nonmetro statistical area.
Author(s): Loredana Santo, Susan M. Schappert, Jill J. Ashman
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Provides data on people younger than 65 who visited emergency rooms from 2010-2021 by insurance status, with further data breakdowns by age, sex, and metro versus nonmetro statistical area.
Author(s): Loredana Santo, Susan M. Schappert, Jill J. Ashman
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Legislative Action Bridging Public Health and Clinical Healthcare
Discusses legislation that relates to equitable access to healthcare, with a focus on telehealth, infrastructure, safety net services, management of healthcare costs, and the expansion of the healthcare workforce. Includes information on access to emergency departments in rural areas and the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation.
Author(s): Ashley Cram, Brianna Gorman
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Discusses legislation that relates to equitable access to healthcare, with a focus on telehealth, infrastructure, safety net services, management of healthcare costs, and the expansion of the healthcare workforce. Includes information on access to emergency departments in rural areas and the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation.
Author(s): Ashley Cram, Brianna Gorman
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Community-Acquired Staphylococcus Aureus Skin and Soft Tissue Infection Risk Assessment Using Hotspot Analysis and Risk Maps: The Case of California Emergency Departments
Using California emergency department data between 2016 and 2019, evaluates the association between risk for Staphylococcus aureus skin and soft tissue infections with various neighborhood characteristics such as population, poverty, and healthcare access shortage measures. Discusses rural disparities.
Author(s): Brittany L. Morgan Bustamante, Laura Fejerman, Larissa May, Beatriz Martínez-Lopéz
Citation: BMC Public Health, 24, 123
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Using California emergency department data between 2016 and 2019, evaluates the association between risk for Staphylococcus aureus skin and soft tissue infections with various neighborhood characteristics such as population, poverty, and healthcare access shortage measures. Discusses rural disparities.
Author(s): Brittany L. Morgan Bustamante, Laura Fejerman, Larissa May, Beatriz Martínez-Lopéz
Citation: BMC Public Health, 24, 123
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Policy Solutions Addressing Psychiatric Boarding of Rural Youth
Policy position paper regarding psychiatric boarding - holding patients in an emergency department after the decision to admit or transfer has been made, but no beds are available - of rural children and adolescents. Describes recent trends in pediatric psychiatric boarding in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to reduce boarding times and improve mental health outcomes in rural communities.
Author(s): Amah Riley, Jonathan Updike, Lauren Wood
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy position paper regarding psychiatric boarding - holding patients in an emergency department after the decision to admit or transfer has been made, but no beds are available - of rural children and adolescents. Describes recent trends in pediatric psychiatric boarding in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to reduce boarding times and improve mental health outcomes in rural communities.
Author(s): Amah Riley, Jonathan Updike, Lauren Wood
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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