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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare quality

Telemedicine vs Telephone Consultations and Medication Prescribing Errors Among Referring Physicians: A Cluster Randomized Crossover Trial
Compared 696 acutely ill children in 15 community and rural California emergency departments receiving telephone or video consultations to determine differences in physician-related medication errors. Discusses the impact of telehealth on healthcare quality and remote acute care.
Author(s): James P. Marcin, Monica K. Lieng, Jamie Mouzoon, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(2)
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
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Hearing on Examining Chronic Drug Shortages in the United States
Congressional hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives Ways & Means Committee discussing pharmaceutical drug shortages. Discusses cancer care, healthcare quality, the 340B program, supply and demand, reimbursement, and other policy measures. Witnesses include Dr. Stephen Schleicher discussing rural concerns. Captions available in video player.
Additional links: Dr. Stephen Schleicher Testimony
Date: 02/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: House Ways and Means Committee
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Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review Measures Under Consideration: 2023 Recommendations Report
Reviews the 42 pre-rulemaking quality measures the Battelle's Partnership for Quality Measurement (PQM) considered during the 2023-2024 Pre-Rulemaking Measure Review (PRMR) cycle. Discusses measures for clinician, hospital, and post-acute care/long-term care programs. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Partnership for Quality Measurement
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Infection Control Policies and Practices in Residential Care Communities by Selected Organizational and Geographic Characteristics: United States, 2020
Presents nationally representative data on the percentage of residential care communities with emergency operations plans that are specific to or include pandemic response, approaches to implement these plans, and infection control policies and practices. Compares infection control policies and practices by metropolitan status, community bed size, ownership status, chain affiliation, and whether the community has a designated space for dementia care.
Author(s): Amanuel Melekin, Manisha Sengupta
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Lessons Learned from Efforts to Support Vulnerable Critical Access and Other Rural Hospitals
Provides an overview of state and federal programs, demonstrations, and models designed to support Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and other rural hospitals. Describes challenges facing CAHs and rural hospitals, including chronic workforce shortages, high operating and staffing costs, inadequate reimbursement, operational and regulatory issues, and the diverse demographics of rural communities. Discusses lessons learned, the new for a new rural hospital model, and next steps.
Author(s): John Gale, Celia Jewell, Karen Pearson
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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State Medicaid & CHIP Telehealth Toolkit
Toolkit to support state policymakers in expanding the use of telehealth to deliver Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) services. Provides information on telehealth flexibilities under Medicaid and CHIP; billing best practices; strategies for telehealth in value-based care; best practices from states during the COVID-19 public health emergency; strategies to promote the delivery of accessible and culturally competent care via telehealth; evaluation strategies to understand how telehealth affects quality, outcomes, and cost, and more. Offers state policy and operational considerations; information about common telehealth modalities; frequently asked questions for states to consider as they explore whether to expand the use of telehealth; Medicaid managed care and fee-for-service state checklists; and other planning tools. Includes information about using telehealth to deliver services to medically underserved and rural communities, American Indian and Alaska Native individuals, individuals with disabilities, older adults, and other specific populations.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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2024 MIPS Eligibility Decision Tree
Presents information to determine if providers are eligible to participate in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) in the 2024 Performance Year. Includes information on the low-volume threshold criteria.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2024 What's New for Small Practices
Summarizes new elements of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for small practices - a group of 15 or fewer clinicians billing under a practice's Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) - during the 2024 performance year. Discusses changes to performance category requirements and flexibilities, new MIPS Value Pathways (MVPs), and performance threshold and payment adjustments. Includes information on performance category redistribution policies for small practices.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2024 MIPS Quick Start Guide for Small Practices
Provides an overview of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). Outlines 6 steps for small practices regarding participation in the 2024 performance year. Includes information on performance category redistribution policies for small practices.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Critical Access Hospital Telehealth Guide
Provides practical guidance on implementing and sustaining telehealth in Critical Access Hospitals, to optimize healthcare delivery, expand access, enhance care coordination, and address health inequity. Focuses on Medicare outpatient telehealth services, but also includes information on Medicaid coverage and remote services that may not strictly be considered telehealth.
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center
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