Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare quality

CARES Act Telehealth Expansion: Trends in Post-Discharge Follow-Up and Association with 30-Day Readmissions for Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program Health Conditions
Provides an overview of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) and examines the impact of expanded Medicare payment for telehealth services on post-discharge follow-up and hospital readmissions for HRRP conditions. Describes trends in post-discharge follow-up before and after the telehealth expansion and compares trends by health condition, sociodemographic characteristics, rurality, and follow-up method.
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
"It's the Relationships": Q&A with Peggy Broussard Wheeler
An interview with Peggy Broussard Wheeler, Vice President of Policy at the California Hospital Association. Covers the challenges rural hospitals face during the pandemic, health equity efforts, workforce issues, and more. Discusses how rural hospitals work together to address concerns.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
High-Performing Rural Health System
Update to the September 2011 RUPRI Health Panel document "The High Performance Rural Health Care System of the Future." Describes affordable and accessible healthcare for all rural residents through a sustainable system delivering high quality, high value services. Defines pillars of accessibility, affordability, community health, and quality.
Author(s): Andrew Coburn, Alva O. Ferdinand, Alana Knudson, et al.
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
view details
Population Denominator Data Sources and Data for Use with HCUP Databases (Updated with 2021 Population Data)
Identifies sources of population data that can be used with Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) databases to calculate rates of hospital care events per population. Includes rural-urban population data sources. Appendix A, Tables A.6 and A.7 provide U.S. population figures from 2000 through 2021 for a 4-category urban-rural definition and a 6-category urban-rural definition.
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details
Promoting Health Equity in Cancer Care: Proceedings of a Workshop
Presents proceedings from a 2021 workshop on issues related to disparities in cancer incidence, care, and patient outcomes. Discusses structural racism, social determinants of health, and health disparities for specific populations such as minorities and those living in rural areas. Provides strategies for understanding cultural factors related to establishing quality cancer care for all patients.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
view details
Emerging Stronger After COVID-19: Priorities for Health System Transformation
Collection of papers examining the weaknesses of major healthcare sectors before the COVID-19 pandemic, how each sector responded to the pandemic, and the opportunities that exist for strengthening and transforming the healthcare system. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academy of Medicine
view details
Caring for People with Serious Illness: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic: Proceedings from a Workshop
Proceedings from a three-part workshop to explore the initial responses to the pandemic by healthcare teams providing care to people with serious illness, the impact of the pandemic on the healthcare workforce, use of telehealth, issues related to communicating with the public about health emergencies, and policy opportunities to improve care for people with serious illness. Mentions rural throughout.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
view details
The National Imperative to Improve Nursing Home Quality: Honoring Our Commitment to Residents, Families, and Staff
Examines how the United States delivers, finances, regulates, and measures the quality of nursing home care. Discusses the nursing home care landscape, quality measurement and improvement, workforce, safety, payment and financing, and health information technology. Identifies seven goals and supporting recommendations that provide a framework for a comprehensive approach to improving the quality of care in nursing homes.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
view details
Literature Review on Differences in Care Provided in Urban and Rural Nursing Homes in the United States
Summarizes results of a review of peer-reviewed research on differences in rural and urban nursing home care quality. Covers access to mental health services and supports, hospitalizations and in-hospital deaths, and hospice care utilization. Highlights implications for future research.
Author(s): Denise D. Quigley, Leah V. Estrada, Gregory L. Alexander, Andrew Dick, Patricia W. Stone
Citation: Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 47(12), 48-56
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
view details
Provider and Patient Perspectives on Labor and Delivery Unit Closures in Rural New Hampshire
Explores how the closure of labor and delivery units in New Hampshire has impacted the providers and patients in the affected communities. Describes the top reasons for labor and delivery unit closures among five hospitals, staffing challenges, and the effect of closures on prenatal and postpartum care for women in the community. Presents recommendations to ensure access to safe and secure pregnancies and deliveries after closures.
Author(s): Sarah Benatar, Stacey McMorrow, Timothy J. Fisher
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
view details