Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Emergency department and urgent care services
Association of Rural and Critical Access Hospital Status With Patient Outcomes After Emergency Department Visits Among Medicare Beneficiaries
Compares 30-day outcomes for 473,152 Medicare patients after emergency department (ED) visits in rural or urban settings and in Critical Access Hospitals. Features statistics on mortality, ED revisits, hospitalization and transfer patterns by commonly encountered ED conditions, and characteristics of patients and of hospitals studied, with breakdowns by urban or rural location.
Author(s): Margaret Greenwood-Ericksen, Neil Kamdar, Paul Lin, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(11)
Date: 11/2021
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Compares 30-day outcomes for 473,152 Medicare patients after emergency department (ED) visits in rural or urban settings and in Critical Access Hospitals. Features statistics on mortality, ED revisits, hospitalization and transfer patterns by commonly encountered ED conditions, and characteristics of patients and of hospitals studied, with breakdowns by urban or rural location.
Author(s): Margaret Greenwood-Ericksen, Neil Kamdar, Paul Lin, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(11)
Date: 11/2021
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Using CPT Charges as an Economic Proxy for Telehealth and Non-telehealth Emergency Department Utilization
Explores the characteristics of a dataset comprising rural hospitals' reported Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes and associated charges for a sample of telehealth and non-telehealth emergency department (ED) visits. Features statistics including number of ED cases and controls selected by diagnosis, and demographics on select ED samples with breakdowns by 4 CPT codes.
Author(s): Marcia M. Ward, Knute D. Carter, Fred Ullrich, Kimberly A. S. Merchant
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Telehealth Research Center
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Explores the characteristics of a dataset comprising rural hospitals' reported Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes and associated charges for a sample of telehealth and non-telehealth emergency department (ED) visits. Features statistics including number of ED cases and controls selected by diagnosis, and demographics on select ED samples with breakdowns by 4 CPT codes.
Author(s): Marcia M. Ward, Knute D. Carter, Fred Ullrich, Kimberly A. S. Merchant
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Telehealth Research Center
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Rural Emergency Hospital: Policy Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary
Describes the development of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation in response to rural hospital closures and issues accessing emergency care. Lists statutory requirements for hospitals wishing to become an REH, and offers policy recommendations related to participation conditions, quality reporting, reimbursement, and emergency medical transfer agreement.
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Describes the development of the Rural Emergency Hospital (REH) designation in response to rural hospital closures and issues accessing emergency care. Lists statutory requirements for hospitals wishing to become an REH, and offers policy recommendations related to participation conditions, quality reporting, reimbursement, and emergency medical transfer agreement.
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment and Ambulatory Surgical Center Payment Systems and Quality Reporting Programs for CY 2022
Comments on an August 4, 2021, Federal Register proposed rule revising the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payment system for calendar year 2022. Includes considerations for Rural Emergency Hospital payments and emergency department staffing requirements.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comments on an August 4, 2021, Federal Register proposed rule revising the Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Medicare Ambulatory Surgical Center (ACS) payment system for calendar year 2022. Includes considerations for Rural Emergency Hospital payments and emergency department staffing requirements.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Paying for Telemedicine in Smaller Rural Hospitals: Extending the Technology to Those Who Benefit Most
Viewpoint article discussing the positive financial impacts of telemedicine in emergency departments (EDs) and barriers to using telemedicine in small rural hospitals related to patient volume, high upfront costs, and reimbursement issues. Outlines policy interventions to support rural telemedicine.
Author(s): Kori S. Zachrison, Jessica V. Richard, Ateev Mehrotra
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 2(8), e211570
Date: 08/2021
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Viewpoint article discussing the positive financial impacts of telemedicine in emergency departments (EDs) and barriers to using telemedicine in small rural hospitals related to patient volume, high upfront costs, and reimbursement issues. Outlines policy interventions to support rural telemedicine.
Author(s): Kori S. Zachrison, Jessica V. Richard, Ateev Mehrotra
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 2(8), e211570
Date: 08/2021
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Emergency Department Visits Involving Dental Conditions, 2018
Presents data on emergency department (ED) visits involving dental conditions using the 2018 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS). Describes characteristics of dental-related ED visits, including age, sex, metropolitan status of patient residence, and community-level income. Includes statistics on the number and percentage of ED visits that resulted in hospital admission, types of dental-related ED visits by payer, and groups and types of dental conditions by type of ED visit.
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Presents data on emergency department (ED) visits involving dental conditions using the 2018 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS). Describes characteristics of dental-related ED visits, including age, sex, metropolitan status of patient residence, and community-level income. Includes statistics on the number and percentage of ED visits that resulted in hospital admission, types of dental-related ED visits by payer, and groups and types of dental conditions by type of ED visit.
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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A Cross-Sectional Analysis of High Acuity Professional Services Performed by Urban and Rural Emergency Care Physicians Across the United States
Evaluates high acuity service practices between 34,256 metropolitan and nonmetropolitan physicians offering emergency care to Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. Discusses rural-specific factors that may contribute to disparities.
Author(s): Cameron J. Gettel, Maureen E. Canavan, Margaret B. Greenwood-Ericksen, et al.
Citation: Annals of Emergency Medicine: An International Journal 78(1), 140-149
Date: 07/2021
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Evaluates high acuity service practices between 34,256 metropolitan and nonmetropolitan physicians offering emergency care to Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. Discusses rural-specific factors that may contribute to disparities.
Author(s): Cameron J. Gettel, Maureen E. Canavan, Margaret B. Greenwood-Ericksen, et al.
Citation: Annals of Emergency Medicine: An International Journal 78(1), 140-149
Date: 07/2021
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Remote Patient Monitoring Helps Rural Patients Recover at Home
Features Essentia Health's remote patient monitoring program, which allows patients to recover at home while still having access to medical attention. Describes how the program was used to treat COVID-19 patients, with plans to continue the program to treat other chronic diseases.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Features Essentia Health's remote patient monitoring program, which allows patients to recover at home while still having access to medical attention. Describes how the program was used to treat COVID-19 patients, with plans to continue the program to treat other chronic diseases.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Strategies for Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Rural Health System in New York State
Describes the challenges of COVID-19 encountered by Bassett Healthcare Network (BHN), a network of 5 hospitals and 24 clinics located in rural upstate New York covering the healthcare needs of 5 counties. Presents four strategies in response to these challenges: expand the capacity of intensive-care; retrain and reposition employees into new roles; adopt a system providing rapid access to care and follow-up; and coordinate communication and decision-making with network administrators, employees, and other healthcare professionals.
Author(s): Jamie A. Aron, Alexander J.B. Bulteel, Kelsey A. Clayman, et al.
Citation: Healthcare, 9(2), 100508
Date: 06/2021
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Describes the challenges of COVID-19 encountered by Bassett Healthcare Network (BHN), a network of 5 hospitals and 24 clinics located in rural upstate New York covering the healthcare needs of 5 counties. Presents four strategies in response to these challenges: expand the capacity of intensive-care; retrain and reposition employees into new roles; adopt a system providing rapid access to care and follow-up; and coordinate communication and decision-making with network administrators, employees, and other healthcare professionals.
Author(s): Jamie A. Aron, Alexander J.B. Bulteel, Kelsey A. Clayman, et al.
Citation: Healthcare, 9(2), 100508
Date: 06/2021
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Access to Mechanical Thrombectomy for Ischemic Stroke in the United States
Examines access to mechanical thrombectomy for ischemic stroke, utilizing 2016-2018 emergency department and acute care hospital data for facilities in 11 states. Provides data on rural and urban differences in likelihood of presenting at thrombectomy gap, gateway, and hub facilities after ischemic stroke.
Author(s): Hooman Kamel, Neal S Parikh, Abhinaba Chatterjee, et al.
Citation: Stroke, 52(8), 2554-2561
Date: 05/2021
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Examines access to mechanical thrombectomy for ischemic stroke, utilizing 2016-2018 emergency department and acute care hospital data for facilities in 11 states. Provides data on rural and urban differences in likelihood of presenting at thrombectomy gap, gateway, and hub facilities after ischemic stroke.
Author(s): Hooman Kamel, Neal S Parikh, Abhinaba Chatterjee, et al.
Citation: Stroke, 52(8), 2554-2561
Date: 05/2021
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