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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Healthcare Quality – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Healthcare Quality.

Financial Risk Acceptance among Rural Health Care Providers Participating in the Quality Payment Program
Summarizes nonmetropolitan and metropolitan providers' participation in different Quality Payment Program tracks and subdivisions, and evaluates provider and patient-panel characteristics associated with financial risk acceptance. Features statistics on risk acceptance with breakdowns by specialty type and metropolitan status, and patient panel characteristics by risk type.
Author(s): Xi Zhu, Mina Shrestha, Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): Participating in the Improvement Activities Performance Category in the 2023 Performance Year - Traditional MIPS
Provides details on how to participate in the performance improvement part of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), one of two tracks under the Medicare Quality Payment Program. Identifies differences for small practices and clinicians located in a rural or Health Professional Shortage Area.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Quality Improvement in Rural Health Care
Policy position paper regarding challenges rural providers face in participating in quality improvement initiatives. Offers policy recommendations on the establishment and support of rural-relevant quality measures.
Author(s): Michelle Mills, Roger Wells
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Impact of Tele-Emergency Consultations on Pediatric Interfacility Transfers: A Cluster-Randomized Crossover Trial
Results of a study examining the use of pediatric critical care telemedicine compared with telephone consultations associated with transfer rates of acutely ill children from community and rural emergency departments. Features statistics including baseline characteristics and disposition of patients in the telemedicine and telephone groups.
Author(s): James P. Marcin, Hadley S. Sauers-Ford, Jamie L. Mouzoon, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(2)
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
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Rural Community Engagement Resource Guide
Describes the importance of community engagement in developing and implementing strategies to improve health, increase value, and drive equitable care delivery. Outlines a variety of toolkits, strategies, and resources to help initiate, improve, and inspire community engagement strategies that support value-based care.
Additional links: Community Engagement and Value Based Care Infographic
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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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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2022 Key Rural Measures: An Updated List of Measures to Advance Rural Health Priorities
Report updating a list of key rural measures focused on rural access to care originally outlined in A Core Set of Rural-Relevant Measures and Measuring and Improving Access to Care: 2018 Recommendations from the MAP Rural Health Workgroup. Identifies 17 measures to add to the 2018 list of rural measures, including items related to behavioral and mental health, substance use, infectious disease, access to care, and equity and social determinants of health. Discusses remaining gaps in measurement topic areas.
Date: 08/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Advancing Primary Care Innovation in Medicaid Managed Care: A Toolkit for States
Designed to help states leverage their Medicaid managed care contracts and request for proposals (RFPs) to advance primary care innovation (PCI). Outlines strategies for states to conceptualize and design advanced primary care core functions and use managed care contract levers to drive uptake and spread. Provides examples of state approaches, with rural considerations, for identifying and addressing social determinants of health, integrating behavioral healthcare, developing team-based care, implementing technology to improve access, and more.
Date: 08/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Leveraging Quality Measurement to Improve Rural Health: Final Environmental Scan - Rural Core Measure Set
Presents the results of an environmental scan of changes in healthcare quality measures since 2017. Provides an overview of updates to the existing core measure set and identifies potential measures for addition based on rural-relevant topics and emerging issues. Highlights emerging areas of rural-relevant quality measurement.
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Rural Health Quality: How CMS Initiatives Improve How We Measure and Address Gaps in Care
Recording of an April 2022 webinar regarding healthcare quality measurement in rural areas. Discusses measurement challenges in rural areas and how CMS is working to mitigate these issues. Presents resources and programs for rural providers to improve healthcare quality. Transcript is available by clicking the three dots above the video description, then selecting Show Transcript.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 04/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Last Updated: 10/1/2024