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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare quality

Rural Disparities in the Quality of Clinical Care Are Notable and Larger for Males
Explores the differences in healthcare quality among male and female Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in rural and urban areas. Breaks down data by gender, treatment received, treatment outcomes, and rural versus urban location, among other measures.
Author(s): Sarah MacCarthy, Marc N. Elliott, Steven C. Martino, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(3), 636-642
Date: 06/2023
Type: Document
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Improving Access to Risk Appropriate Care and Maternal Health Outcomes through Provider Engagement
A podcast episode that discusses maternal mortality rates in the United States and strategies to improve access to and quality of maternal healthcare. Includes examples of how to engage providers in efforts to improve maternal healthcare equity in underserved and rural communities.
Author(s): Robert Johnson, Eugene C. Toy, Lily Lou
Date: 05/2023
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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Emergency Department Preparedness to Care for Sexual Assault Survivors: A Nationwide Study
Surveys 315 sexual assault (SA) advocates to determine emergency department staff preparedness and available resources for SA survivors. Discusses rural and urban access to sexual assault nurse examiners and implications for quality of care.
Author(s): Kristen Chalmers, Meredith Hollender, Liam Spurr, et al.
Citation: Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health, 24(3)
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
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Family Child Care Networks: Actions Needed to Better Assess Quality Improvement Efforts
Describes characteristics of Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)-supported networks, including their funding, service population, and services provided. Presents stakeholder views on whether and how providers benefit from networks and factors providers consider in deciding whether to join a network. Discusses how the Administration for Children and Families' Office of Child Care (OCC) supports and assesses states' efforts to improve the quality of family child care. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Study of Telehealth Expansion and Payment Parity: Preliminary Report to the Minnesota Legislature 2023
Provides an overview of telehealth usage in Minnesota, with a focus on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on telehealth; issues of access, quality, satisfaction, and equity; payment parity; audio-only telehealth; and more. Includes 2021 Minnesota Health Access (MNHA) Survey data about telehealth satisfaction for various populations, including rural, as well as telehealth implications for rural areas.
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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Disparities in Diabetes Care: Differences Between Rural and Urban Patients Within a Large Health System
Examines rural versus urban residence and the related impact on a patient's quality of diabetes care. Analyzes 2019 data of 45,279 patients with diabetes in a large healthcare system, comparing rural versus urban outcomes of 5 diabetes care metrics. Discusses health disparities in diabetes care based on geography.
Author(s): Randy Foss, Karen Fischer, Michelle A. Lampman, et al.
Citation: The Annals of Family Medicine, 21(3), 234-239
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
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Rural Healthy People 2030: Common Challenges, Rural Nuances
Policy brief focused on Rural Healthy People 2030, a companion piece to the Healthy People 2030 initiative with a focus on health priorities of rural populations. Features rural stakeholder perspectives on the top 20 Rural Healthy People priorities with breakdowns by census region, Medicaid expansion status, gender, age, race, and field of employment.
Author(s): Morgan Kassabian, Aakriti Shrestha, Timothy Callaghan, et al.
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
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Association of Rural Living With COPD-Related Hospitalizations and Deaths in Us Veterans
Highlights a study aiming to identify the cause of higher COPD rates in rural areas. Utilizes VA data to draw conclusions about incidence and access to treatment for COPD for rural veterans. Breaks down data by age, comorbidities, and rurality, among other factors.
Author(s): Spyridon Fortis, Yubo Gao, Arianne K. Baldomero, et al.
Citation: Scientific Reports, 13, 7887
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
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How Regional Partnerships Bolster Rural Hospitals
Explores how Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and other rural providers partner to overcome challenges. Profiles six regional partnerships that address staffing, quality improvement, contracts with payers, value-based payment, and community development. Offers lessons learned that could inform policy changes to strengthen rural providers.
Author(s): Martha Hostetter, Sarah Klein
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Patient Satisfaction with Rural Health Centers
Examines patient satisfaction with health centers in Illinois by race/ethnicity and home location: metro versus nonmetro. Utilizes 7,002 records from Health Center Patient Survey (HCPS) data gathered from October 2014 through April 2015 to analyze health status, perception of healthcare quality, and satisfaction of health center patients.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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