Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare quality
Opioid-Related Outcomes Among Individuals with Co-Occurring Behavioral Health Conditions
Provides an overview of a quality measurement framework to improve the prevention and monitoring of opioid-related overdoses and mortality among individuals with co-occurring behavioral health conditions. Identifies existing measures, measure concepts, and recommendations to serve as a starting point for quality measurement. Highlights three essential domains for measurement: equitable access, clinical interventions, and integrated and comprehensive care for concurrent behavioral health conditions.
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Provides an overview of a quality measurement framework to improve the prevention and monitoring of opioid-related overdoses and mortality among individuals with co-occurring behavioral health conditions. Identifies existing measures, measure concepts, and recommendations to serve as a starting point for quality measurement. Highlights three essential domains for measurement: equitable access, clinical interventions, and integrated and comprehensive care for concurrent behavioral health conditions.
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Rural Health Equity and Quality Summit Report
Summarizes a June 2022 summit with experts in rural healthcare policy, health equity, value-based care, and clinical quality to explore the roles of small rural hospitals and Rural Health Clinics in achieving health equity. Discusses barriers and challenges to achieving rural health equity. Presents best practices and innovative models in promoting health equity in rural areas.
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Summarizes a June 2022 summit with experts in rural healthcare policy, health equity, value-based care, and clinical quality to explore the roles of small rural hospitals and Rural Health Clinics in achieving health equity. Discusses barriers and challenges to achieving rural health equity. Presents best practices and innovative models in promoting health equity in rural areas.
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Medicare Telehealth: Actions Needed to Strengthen Oversight and Help Providers Educate Patients on Privacy and Security Risks
Analyzes 2019 and 2020 Medicare claims data to explore the utilization of telehealth services before and after the implementation of regulatory flexibilities and waivers in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Describes efforts taken by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to identify and monitor risks posed by Medicare telehealth waivers, as well as a change made to the enforcement of regulations governing patients' protected health information during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Offers three recommendations to CMS to strengthen oversight and assess the quality of telehealth services and one recommendation regarding assistance to providers to explain the privacy and security risks of telehealth to patients.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Analyzes 2019 and 2020 Medicare claims data to explore the utilization of telehealth services before and after the implementation of regulatory flexibilities and waivers in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Describes efforts taken by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to identify and monitor risks posed by Medicare telehealth waivers, as well as a change made to the enforcement of regulations governing patients' protected health information during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Offers three recommendations to CMS to strengthen oversight and assess the quality of telehealth services and one recommendation regarding assistance to providers to explain the privacy and security risks of telehealth to patients.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Measure Applications Partnership 2022 Considerations for Measure Set Review in Federal Programs: Clinician, Hospital, and Post-Acute Care/Long-Term Care
Reviews the 32 healthcare quality and efficiency measures used by the National Quality Forum's Measure Applications Partnership (MAP) during 2022. Discusses measures for clinician programs, hospital programs, and post-acute care/long-term care programs. Includes the MAP Rural Health Advisory Group's support or determination of the suitability of each measure for rural providers.
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Reviews the 32 healthcare quality and efficiency measures used by the National Quality Forum's Measure Applications Partnership (MAP) during 2022. Discusses measures for clinician programs, hospital programs, and post-acute care/long-term care programs. Includes the MAP Rural Health Advisory Group's support or determination of the suitability of each measure for rural providers.
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Leveraging Electronic Health Record EHR-Sourced Measures to Improve Care Communication and Coordination: Final Recommendations Report
Discusses recommendations developed by a multistakeholder committee for using electronic health record (EHR) data to improve the measurement of care communication and care coordination. Identifies challenges to collecting data in rural areas.
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Discusses recommendations developed by a multistakeholder committee for using electronic health record (EHR) data to improve the measurement of care communication and care coordination. Identifies challenges to collecting data in rural areas.
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Beneficiary Experience, Affordability, Utilization, and Quality in Medicare Advantage and Traditional Medicare: A Review of the Literature
Summarizes the results of a review of 62 studies published between January 1, 2016, and May 1, 2022, that compare Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare across beneficiary experience, affordability, service utilization, and quality. Includes information on Medicare enrollment patterns in rural areas and identifies gaps in research on rural Medicare beneficiaries and other subgroups. Builds on a literature review that examined studies published between 2000 and early 2014.
Author(s): Nancy Ochieng, Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Summarizes the results of a review of 62 studies published between January 1, 2016, and May 1, 2022, that compare Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare across beneficiary experience, affordability, service utilization, and quality. Includes information on Medicare enrollment patterns in rural areas and identifies gaps in research on rural Medicare beneficiaries and other subgroups. Builds on a literature review that examined studies published between 2000 and early 2014.
Author(s): Nancy Ochieng, Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Impact of Project ECHO on Patient and Community Health Outcomes: A Scoping Review
Explores the impact of Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) on improving patient care in rural and underserved areas through a literature review of ECHO-related research articles. Examines 15 studies to see ECHO impacts on the health outcomes at the individual patient level, clinical practice level, and community level.
Author(s): Jo-Ann Osei-Twum, Brittany Wiles, Tieghan Killackey, et al.
Citation: Academic Medicine, 97(9), 1393-1402
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
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Explores the impact of Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) on improving patient care in rural and underserved areas through a literature review of ECHO-related research articles. Examines 15 studies to see ECHO impacts on the health outcomes at the individual patient level, clinical practice level, and community level.
Author(s): Jo-Ann Osei-Twum, Brittany Wiles, Tieghan Killackey, et al.
Citation: Academic Medicine, 97(9), 1393-1402
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
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Priorities for Improvement Across Cancer and Non-Cancer Related Preventive Services among Rural and Non-Rural Clinicians
Examines the preventive care services primary care physicians report as needing improvement in their clinics. Reports on 2021 data from 326 survey respondents in 49 states who discuss improvement areas such such as screenings, nutrition counseling, and physical activity counseling. Includes rural versus urban breakdowns for priorities in improvement areas.
Author(s): Michaela Brtnikova, Jamie L. Studts, Elise Robertson, et al.
Citation: BMC Primary Care, 23, 231
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
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Examines the preventive care services primary care physicians report as needing improvement in their clinics. Reports on 2021 data from 326 survey respondents in 49 states who discuss improvement areas such such as screenings, nutrition counseling, and physical activity counseling. Includes rural versus urban breakdowns for priorities in improvement areas.
Author(s): Michaela Brtnikova, Jamie L. Studts, Elise Robertson, et al.
Citation: BMC Primary Care, 23, 231
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Physician Fee Schedule and Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2023
Comment on a July 29, 2022, Federal Register proposed rule revising the physician fee schedule to improve payment systems for physicians and other Medicare Part B revisions. Includes a discussion of the coverage of certain telehealth services after the COVID-19 public health emergency, as well as rebasing and revising the Medicare Economic Index (MEI).
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Comment on a July 29, 2022, Federal Register proposed rule revising the physician fee schedule to improve payment systems for physicians and other Medicare Part B revisions. Includes a discussion of the coverage of certain telehealth services after the COVID-19 public health emergency, as well as rebasing and revising the Medicare Economic Index (MEI).
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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National Veteran Health Equity Report
Examines Veterans Affairs (VA) data concerning the sociodemographics, utilization patterns, and rates of diagnosed health conditions among various groups of veterans to monitor, evaluate and act on identified disparities in healthcare access, use, quality, and health outcomes. Chapter 5 developed by the VA Office of Rural Health provides detailed information comparing rural and urban data.
Additional links: American Indian or Alaska Native Veteran Chartbook, Asian and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Veteran Chartbook, Black Veteran Chartbook, Full Report, Hispanic and Latino Veteran Chartbook
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration
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Examines Veterans Affairs (VA) data concerning the sociodemographics, utilization patterns, and rates of diagnosed health conditions among various groups of veterans to monitor, evaluate and act on identified disparities in healthcare access, use, quality, and health outcomes. Chapter 5 developed by the VA Office of Rural Health provides detailed information comparing rural and urban data.
Additional links: American Indian or Alaska Native Veteran Chartbook, Asian and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Veteran Chartbook, Black Veteran Chartbook, Full Report, Hispanic and Latino Veteran Chartbook
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration
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