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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare quality

Compendium of Priority Recommendations: March 2014
Annual report identifying the top 25 unimplemented recommendations from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) that, in OIG's view, would have the most substantial positive impact on Health and Human Services (HHS) programs. Positive impact may refer to cost savings, program efficacy and efficiency, and/or quality improvement. Primary areas of interest in the March 2014 edition include: improving quality assurance programs in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and updating location requirements and conditions of participation for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Date: 03/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Rural Hospital System Transformation
Discusses how Mercy Health Network, a group of 28 hospitals in rural Iowa, improved system-wide performance by implementing a Lean methodology. Focuses on learning from outside the healthcare industry, identifying the appropriate leaders, and utilizing innovative approaches to do more with less.
Date: 03/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Chronic Disease Assessment Report for North Dakota
Presents the results of a statewide health assessment examining chronic disease in North Dakota. Provides an overview of the state's population characteristics, social and economic factors, and health outcomes.
Author(s): Nikki Massmann, Brad Gibbens, Mandi Peterson, Rebecca Quinn
Date: 02/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health
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Facilitators of Health Systems Change for Tobacco Dependence Treatment: A Qualitative Study of Stakeholders' Perceptions
An evaluation of tobacco treatment programs in rural and urban health systems in Minnesota that demonstrates they can implement extensive changes in a short time to enhance treatment of tobacco dependence. Emphasizes the use of electronic health records and healthcare quality measures to improve the healthcare environment for tobacco dependence.
Author(s): Amanda L Jansen, Traci R Capesius, Randi Lachter, Lija O Greenseid, Paula A Keller
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 14, 575
Date: 2014
Type: Document
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Effects of Distance to Care and Rural or Urban Residence on Receipt of Radiation Therapy among North Carolina Medicare Enrollees with Breast Cancer
Discusses the effect of distance on quality of care for Medicare-insured patients with breast cancer living in rural and urban areas of North Carolina.
Author(s): Stephanie B. Wheeler, Tzy-Mey Kuo, Danielle Durham, et al.
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 75(4), 239-246
Date: 2014
Type: Document
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Impact of Rural Residence and Health System Structure on Quality of Liver Care
A study of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients with Hepatitis C (HCV) to ascertain the extent that rural residency can impact access to HCV specialists and quality of liver care.
Author(s): Catherine Rongey, Hui Shen, Nathan Hamilton, et al.
Citation: PLoS One, 8(12)
Date: 12/2013
Type: Document
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Effects of Patient-Centered Medical Home Attributes on Patients' Perceptions of Quality in Federally Supported Health Centers
Analyzes patient survey results that rated the quality of care and the patient-centered medical home attributes provided at federally supported health centers in rural and urban locations.
Author(s): Lydie A. Lebrun-Harris, Leiyu Shi, Jinsheng Zhu, et al.
Citation: Annals of Family Medicine, 11(6), 508-516
Date: 11/2013
Type: Document
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Understanding Adoption of a Personal Health Record in Rural Health Care Clinics: Revealing Barriers and Facilitators of Adoption Including Attributions about Potential Patient Portal Users and Self-reported Characteristics of Early Adopting Users
Examines patient survey data from Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) comparing patients who are early adopters of personal health records (PHRs) to those who do not use PHRs to understand clinic level barriers to PHR adoption. Provides information on staff perceptions of newly introduced PHR.
Author(s): Jorie Butler, Marjorie Carter, Candace Hayden, et al.
Citation: AMIA Annual Symposium Proceedings Archive, 2013, 152-161
Date: 11/2013
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Medical Informatics Association
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"Living With a Ball and Chain": The Experience of Stroke for Individuals and Their Caregivers in Rural Appalachian Kentucky
Describes a qualitative study based on interviews with 13 stroke survivors and 12 caregivers in rural Appalachian Kentucky. Analyzes the transcripts for qualitative data giving insight into the experience of stroke victims from the time of onset, through their treatment in the healthcare system, to their reintegration into their home and community.
Author(s): Megan M. Danzl, Elizabeth G. Hunter, Sarah Campbell, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 29(4), 368-382
Date: 10/2013
Type: Document
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Characteristics of Adverse Drug Events Originating During the Hospital Stay, 2011
Provides hospital inpatient data on the four most common adverse drug events (ADEs). Table 1 and Figure 4 list data on ADEs for rural compared to urban hospitals.
Author(s): Audrey J. Weiss, Anne Elixhauser
Date: 10/2013
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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