Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare quality
A Formal Framework For Incorporating Equity Into Health Care Quality Measurement
Describes equity weighting, a measurement used to address population health disparities by examining multiple demographic factors that then interpret healthcare quality for specific population groups. Utilizes 2017 Medicare colorectal cancer screening data to show examples of equity weighting, with demographics broken down by patient race and rurality.
Author(s): Denis Agniel, Irineo Cabreros, Cheryl L. Damberg, Marc N. Elliott, Rhianna Rogers
Citation: Health Affairs, 42(10)
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
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Describes equity weighting, a measurement used to address population health disparities by examining multiple demographic factors that then interpret healthcare quality for specific population groups. Utilizes 2017 Medicare colorectal cancer screening data to show examples of equity weighting, with demographics broken down by patient race and rurality.
Author(s): Denis Agniel, Irineo Cabreros, Cheryl L. Damberg, Marc N. Elliott, Rhianna Rogers
Citation: Health Affairs, 42(10)
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
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Medicare Payment Basics: Accountable Care Organizations Payment Systems
Provides an overview of Medicare's Accountable Care Organization (ACO) programs. Discusses the payment mechanics of ACOs, including the maximum shared savings and losses of Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs by track and level.
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Provides an overview of Medicare's Accountable Care Organization (ACO) programs. Discusses the payment mechanics of ACOs, including the maximum shared savings and losses of Medicare Shared Savings Program ACOs by track and level.
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Health Center Program Site Visit Protocol
Standardized review instrument to conduct operational site visits at health centers in rural and urban areas. Can be used to assess health centers' compliance with federal program requirements and to identify clinical and financial performance improvement areas.
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bureau of Primary Health Care
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Standardized review instrument to conduct operational site visits at health centers in rural and urban areas. Can be used to assess health centers' compliance with federal program requirements and to identify clinical and financial performance improvement areas.
Date: 10/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bureau of Primary Health Care
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Medicare Advantage Value-Based Insurance Design Model Phase II: Second Annual Evaluation Report
Presents findings from an evaluation of Phase II of the Medicare Advantage (MA) Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) Model, which allows participating MA parent organizations to offer supplemental benefits and incentives to beneficiaries, hospice benefits, and wellness and healthcare planning through their MA plans. Summarizes findings from interviews with representatives of participating MA organizations, in-network and out-of-network hospices, and beneficiaries. Covers MA organization and beneficiary implementation experiences, plan enrollment, quality of care, health outcomes, and more, for the VBID Model generally and for the VBID Hospice Benefit Component.
Additional links: Appendices, Findings at a Glance, Hospice Benefit Component Findings at a Glance
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RAND Corporation
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Presents findings from an evaluation of Phase II of the Medicare Advantage (MA) Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) Model, which allows participating MA parent organizations to offer supplemental benefits and incentives to beneficiaries, hospice benefits, and wellness and healthcare planning through their MA plans. Summarizes findings from interviews with representatives of participating MA organizations, in-network and out-of-network hospices, and beneficiaries. Covers MA organization and beneficiary implementation experiences, plan enrollment, quality of care, health outcomes, and more, for the VBID Model generally and for the VBID Hospice Benefit Component.
Additional links: Appendices, Findings at a Glance, Hospice Benefit Component Findings at a Glance
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RAND Corporation
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Council on Graduate Medical Education Meeting Minutes, September 8, 2023
Summarizes the Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME) meeting held on September 8, 2023. Includes an update from the White House COVID-19 Response Team, among other things. Features presentations on team-based care through the Quality Payment Program and Interprofessional Practice and Education and a Whole Health Approach. Include rural references throughout.
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Council on Graduate Medical Education
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Summarizes the Council on Graduate Medical Education (COGME) meeting held on September 8, 2023. Includes an update from the White House COVID-19 Response Team, among other things. Features presentations on team-based care through the Quality Payment Program and Interprofessional Practice and Education and a Whole Health Approach. Include rural references throughout.
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Council on Graduate Medical Education
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Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): Small Practice Countdown to Performance Year 2023 Data Submission Checklist
Checklist outlining the steps small practices must follow to submit Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 2023 performance year data. Highlights key dates and links to key resources for small practices.
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Checklist outlining the steps small practices must follow to submit Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) 2023 performance year data. Highlights key dates and links to key resources for small practices.
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Characteristics of 30-Day All-cause Hospital Readmissions, 2016–2020
Examines trends in 30-day all-cause hospital readmissions among patients 1 year old and older in the United States between 2016 and 2020. Explores changes in readmission rates from the pre-pandemic period (2016-2019) to 2020. Presents data by primary payer, patient location, and race and ethnicity.
Author(s): H. Joanna Jiang, Molly Hensche
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Examines trends in 30-day all-cause hospital readmissions among patients 1 year old and older in the United States between 2016 and 2020. Explores changes in readmission rates from the pre-pandemic period (2016-2019) to 2020. Presents data by primary payer, patient location, and race and ethnicity.
Author(s): H. Joanna Jiang, Molly Hensche
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Guideline-Discordant Inhaler Regimens after COPD Hospitalization: Associations with Rurality, Drive Time to Care, and Fragmented Care – a United States Cohort Study
Examines the factors related to guideline-discordant inhaler regimens following chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) hospitalization. Analyzes 33,785 patient inhaler prescriptions between 2017-2020 according to rurality, drive time to pulmonary specialty care, and fragmented care.
Author(s): Arianne K. Baldomero, Ken M. Kunisaki, Chris H. Wendt, et al.
Citation: The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, 26
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
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Examines the factors related to guideline-discordant inhaler regimens following chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) hospitalization. Analyzes 33,785 patient inhaler prescriptions between 2017-2020 according to rurality, drive time to pulmonary specialty care, and fragmented care.
Author(s): Arianne K. Baldomero, Ken M. Kunisaki, Chris H. Wendt, et al.
Citation: The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, 26
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
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Improving Hospital Transfers: A Step Toward Equitable, Patient-Centered Acute Care
Discuss emergency department (ED) transfers, including the importance of timely transfers, where patients transferred from the ED are more likely to initially present, and how transferred patients are considered in hospital quality metrics. Identifies three ways to incentivize hospital coordination to improve patient-centered care for transfer patients.
Author(s): Charleen Hsuan
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
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Discuss emergency department (ED) transfers, including the importance of timely transfers, where patients transferred from the ED are more likely to initially present, and how transferred patients are considered in hospital quality metrics. Identifies three ways to incentivize hospital coordination to improve patient-centered care for transfer patients.
Author(s): Charleen Hsuan
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
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Evaluation of the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model: Final Report
Evaluates the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model, which tests the impact of providing financial incentives to home health agencies in nine states: Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts, Maryland, Nebraska, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington. Examines how the financial incentives under the model influenced agency behavior. Describes impacts across key outcomes, including service utilization, quality of care, and patient experience, and examines the model's effects on access to care, health equity, and Medicare spending. Explores whether the model had unique impacts on access to home health care in rural areas.
Additional links: Appendices, Findings at a Glance
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, L&M Policy Research
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Evaluates the Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) Model, which tests the impact of providing financial incentives to home health agencies in nine states: Arizona, Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts, Maryland, Nebraska, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington. Examines how the financial incentives under the model influenced agency behavior. Describes impacts across key outcomes, including service utilization, quality of care, and patient experience, and examines the model's effects on access to care, health equity, and Medicare spending. Explores whether the model had unique impacts on access to home health care in rural areas.
Additional links: Appendices, Findings at a Glance
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Arbor Research Collaborative for Health, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, L&M Policy Research
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