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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Healthcare Quality – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Healthcare Quality.

Small Healthcare Provider Quality Improvement: Sourcebook, 2016-2019
Detailed descriptions of 32 rural quality improvement initiatives funded through the Small Health Care Provider Quality Improvement grant program during the 2016-2019 grant period. Initiatives focused on enhancing chronic disease management, increasing patient and caregiver engagement, improving quality of care, and better health outcomes.
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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Williamson Health and Wellness Center: Williamson, WV
Highlights a Community-Driven Health Equity Action Plan as implemented by the Williamson Health and Wellness Center in West Virginia. Details the goals and focus of the program.
Additional links: Summary
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academy of Medicine
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Gorge Health Equity Collaborative: Columbia Gorge Region, OR and WA
Presents a Community-Driven Health Equity Action Plan as implemented by the Gorge Health Equity Collaborative in Washington and Oregon. Highlights health and healthcare access of children and adults in the Columbia Gorge region.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academy of Medicine
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Assessment of Rural-Urban Differences in Postacute Care Utilization and Outcomes Among Older US Adults
Results of a study of 2,044,231 Medicare beneficiaries who were hospitalized in 2011-2015 for pneumonia, stroke, heart failure, hip fracture, or COPD. Examines the frequency, type, and duration of postacute care, as well as readmission and mortality rates in people discharged to a community or to postacute care. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban area, rural community adjacent to urban area, or rural community nonadjacent to urban area.
Author(s): Cyrus M. Kosar, Lacey Loomer, Nasim B. Ferdows, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 3(1)
Date: 01/2020
Type: Document
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Impact of Rural and Urban Hospital Closures on Inpatient Mortality
Examines the impact of California's hospital closures from 1995-2011 on adjusted inpatient mortality for sepsis, stroke, asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and acute myocardial infarction. Features statistics including the number of closures by year, patient demographics with breakdowns by urban or rural location, and differential impacts of rural and urban closures with breakdowns by condition.
Author(s): Kritee Gujral, Anirban Basu
Citation: NBER Working Paper Series, Working Paper 26182
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Bureau of Economic Research
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Addressing Low Case-Volume in Healthcare Performance Measurement of Rural Providers: Recommendations from the MAP Rural Health Technical Expert Panel
Final report recommending how to measure healthcare performance in low case-volume situations, such as rural providers. Reviews existing and proposed low-volume healthcare quality measures, how measures are calculated, data use, and data analysis techniques. Focuses on Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) quality programs reporting requirements.
Date: 03/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum MAP Rural Health Advisory Workgroup
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Perspectives of Physicians in Small Rural Practices on the Medicare Quality Payment Program
Provides feedback from small, rural practices on the implementation of Medicare's Quality Payment Program (QPP), which includes the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs). Identifies challenges rural physicians face and offers recommendations to help more small practices participate in the program.
Author(s): Peter Mendel, Christine Buttorff, Peggy G. Chen, et al.
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, RAND Corporation
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Care Redesign Survey: Lessons Learned from and for Rural Health
Explores similarities and disparities between healthcare in rural and urban or suburban areas, and discusses barriers to delivering excellent care in rural areas. Based on survey responses from 730 members of the NEJM Catalyst Insights Council.
Author(s): Amy Compton-Phillips, Namita Seth Mohta
Citation: NEJM Catalyst
Date: 10/2018
Type: Document
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Identifying a Core Set of Rural-Relevant Measures for Hospital and Ambulatory Settings
Describes selection criteria and processes used to create a draft core set of measures, lists the measures, and describes measurement gap areas identified by the Measures Applications Partnership Rural Health Workgroup, a public-private partnership of healthcare stakeholders. First in a series of 3 reports documenting the Workgroup's continuing efforts.
Date: 02/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum MAP Rural Health Advisory Workgroup
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Quality Improvement and Care Coordination: Implementing the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain
A guide to help primary care providers, practices, and healthcare systems manage patients who are on long-term opioid therapy. Provides an evidence-based prescribing guideline, quality improvement measures, and practice-level care coordination strategies. Appendix F provides examples of comprehensive management approaches, including discussion of telehealth approaches that could be used in rural communities.
Date: 2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Last Updated: 9/9/2024