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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare quality

Can ERAS Help Reduce Health Disparities and Overcome Barriers to Equitable Surgical Care in Marginalized Communities?
Discusses the value of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) protocols in rural and marginalized communities. Identifies barriers to access and proposes strategies to increase equity. Highlights aspects of ERAS implementation including pediatrics, health literacy, communication with patients and among providers, telehealth, and more.
Author(s): Chirag Ram, Ruoying Li, Andrew D. Franklin, et al.
Citation: Journal of Pediatric Surgery Open, 7, 100141
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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Report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services: Encouraging Rural Participation in Population-Based Total Cost of Care (PB-TCOC) Models
Summarizes findings from the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee's (PTAC) review of information on best practices for addressing rural health challenges and encouraging rural participation in value-based care and PB-TCOC models. Describes the importance of addressing challenges affecting patients and providers in rural communities, developing financial incentives and glide paths to encourage rural participation in value-based care, and measuring and incentivizing value-based care and social determinants of health for patients in rural areas. Identifies areas where areas where additional research is needed, considerations for policymakers, and potential next steps.
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Community Buprenorphine Continuation Post-Release Following Extended Release Vs. Sublingual Buprenorphine During Incarceration: A Pilot Project in Maine
Compares post-release outcomes among incarcerated people who received extended-release buprenorphine (XRB) versus sublingual buprenorphine (SLB) for opioid use disorder (OUD) in rural Maine jails. Includes data from two jails, one of which had implemented an XRB pilot program, on rates of post-release community buprenorphine treatment continuation, diversion, safety concerns, XRB side effects, and post-release mortality.
Author(s): Alane B. O'Connor, Catherine Gelsinger, Sadie M. Donovan, Jessica Marshall, Katherine A. Ahrens
Citation: Health & Justice, 12, 28
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
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Health Subcommittee Hearing on Improving Value-Based Care for Patients and Providers
Recording of a June 26, 2024, House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health hearing on the challenges and opportunities associated with delivering better health outcomes and Medicare savings through value-based care. Features testimony from Sarah Chouinard, Chief Medical Officer of Main Street Health, regarding value-based care delivery in rural areas.
Additional links: Sarah Chouinard, Main Street Health - Testimony
Date: 06/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: House Ways and Means Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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Impact of Rural Location on Receipt of Standard of Care Treatment and Survival for Locally Advanced Bladder Cancer in Louisiana
Examines whether rural or urban dwelling affects odds of receiving standard of care (SOC) treatment and survival outcomes among 983 locally advanced bladder cancer patients in Louisiana. Utilizes 2010-2020 Louisiana Tumor Registry data.
Author(s): Megan Escott, Yong Yi, Ashley Foret, et al.
Citation: Cancer Medicine, 13(12), e7301
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
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Physicians Working with Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners: Perceived Effects on Clinical Practice
Reports on the perception on clinical practice among 5,823 physicians working with physician assistants and nurse practitioners on patient volume, quality, time use, and workload. Discusses the impact of rurality on study findings among other demographic, specialty, and practice setting factors.
Author(s): Xiaochu Hu, Bettie Coplan, Hilary Barnes, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 2(6)
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
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Updated Analysis: Using Population-Based Outcome Measures to Assess the Impact of Telehealth Expansion on Medicare Beneficiaries' Access to Care and Quality of Care
Explores the association between telehealth use, quality of care, and access to care when both telehealth and in-person visits are available to fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare beneficiaries. Compares data from the second half of 2018 and 2019 to the second half of 2022 by the level of telehealth utilization in Hospital Service Areas (HSAs). Describes the effects of telehealth for urban and rural beneficiaries and differentiates between telehealth utilization for behavioral and non-behavioral health services. Updates a June 2023 report that analyzed data from 2021.
Author(s): Tanvi Rao, Angshuman Gooptu, Karin Johnson, Guido Cataife, Steven Susana-Castillo
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: American Institutes for Research, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): Traditional MIPS Scoring Guide for the 2024 Performance Year
Provides details on how scores are calculated for the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), one of two tracks under the Medicare Quality Payment Program. Explains the four performance categories that affect Medicare Physician Fee Schedule payments: quality, cost, improvement activities, and promoting interoperability. Includes information for small practices.
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Voices of Experience: Lay Perspectives on Severe Maternal Morbidity in Appalachia
Highlights the perspectives of 10 rural Appalachian women interviewed about their experiences with severe maternal morbidity, social determinants of health, the healthcare system, and access to quality healthcare. Offers potential interventions based on interview themes.
Author(s): Anna Hansen, Cassidy Carter, Nancy Schoenberg, Carrie Oser
Citation: SSM - Qualitative Research in Health, 4, 100410
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
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Trends in Patient Perceptions of Care Toward Rural and Urban Hospitals in the United States: 2014-2019
Examines patients' perceptions of care in hospitals located in urban, rural non-frontier and remote (FAR), and FAR areas. Analyzes 2014-2019 data from 6,964 hospitals to rate patients' perceptions of their quality of care, considering factors such as quietness and cleanliness of hospital, communication with healthcare staff, discharge information, care transition, and willingness to recommend hospital.
Author(s): Zhong Li, Vivian Ho, Melinda A. Merrell, Peiyin Hung
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 40(3), 565-573
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
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