Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare quality
Quality Time: Sharing PIE - Becoming a QI Leader
First episode of a quarterly podcast focusing on Critical Access Hospital (CAH) performance improvement experiences. Profiles two CAH quality leaders who share strategies, tips, and lessons learned from their experiences becoming quality improvement professionals.
Date: 05/2020
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
view details
First episode of a quarterly podcast focusing on Critical Access Hospital (CAH) performance improvement experiences. Profiles two CAH quality leaders who share strategies, tips, and lessons learned from their experiences becoming quality improvement professionals.
Date: 05/2020
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
view details
COVID-19 Exposes Threat to America's Broken Rural Health Care System
Recording of an April 21, 2020, webinar featuring members of the Bipartisan Policy Center's Rural Health Task Force. Discusses the Task Force's policy recommendations to stabilize the rural healthcare infrastructure and ensure local access to care as outlined in the report Confronting Rural America's Health Care Crisis. Describes how these recommendations will address the closures of obstetrics units, promote value-based care, provide incentives for clinicians to stay in rural areas, and remove barriers to telehealth. Transcript available by clicking the dots above the video description, then selecting Show Transcript.
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center Rural Health Task Force
view details
Recording of an April 21, 2020, webinar featuring members of the Bipartisan Policy Center's Rural Health Task Force. Discusses the Task Force's policy recommendations to stabilize the rural healthcare infrastructure and ensure local access to care as outlined in the report Confronting Rural America's Health Care Crisis. Describes how these recommendations will address the closures of obstetrics units, promote value-based care, provide incentives for clinicians to stay in rural areas, and remove barriers to telehealth. Transcript available by clicking the dots above the video description, then selecting Show Transcript.
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center Rural Health Task Force
view details
Improving Access to Evidence-Based Medical Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder: Strategies to Address Key Barriers Within the Treatment System
Presents a study on the barriers to evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Identifies nine common barriers to evidence-based care for people with OUD, including stigma, workforce training, and financial barriers, among others. Includes rural references throughout.
Author(s): Bertha K. Madras, N. Jia Ahmad, Jenny Wen, et al.
Citation: NAM Perspectives
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Academy of Medicine
view details
Presents a study on the barriers to evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Identifies nine common barriers to evidence-based care for people with OUD, including stigma, workforce training, and financial barriers, among others. Includes rural references throughout.
Author(s): Bertha K. Madras, N. Jia Ahmad, Jenny Wen, et al.
Citation: NAM Perspectives
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Academy of Medicine
view details
Measure and Data Element Identification for the HRSA Evidence-Based Tele-Behavioral Health Network Program and the HRSA Substance Abuse Treatment Telehealth Network Grant Program
Provides an overview of the development of measures and data points to evaluate tele-behavioral health services delivered by two Federal Office of Rural Health Policy grant programs.
Author(s): Marcia M. Ward, Kimberley Fox, Kimberly Merchant, et al.
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural Telehealth Research Center
view details
Provides an overview of the development of measures and data points to evaluate tele-behavioral health services delivered by two Federal Office of Rural Health Policy grant programs.
Author(s): Marcia M. Ward, Kimberley Fox, Kimberly Merchant, et al.
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural Telehealth Research Center
view details
Best Practices from 14 CAH Executives Operating in Challenging Environments
Summarizes findings from interviews with Critical Access Hospital (CAH) chief executive officers about daily operations, forecasting, and community health outcomes. Identifies best practices of leaders of CAHs with low financial risk despite operating in challenging environments.
Author(s): Shartia R. Thomas, Kristin Reiter, George H. Pink
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
view details
Summarizes findings from interviews with Critical Access Hospital (CAH) chief executive officers about daily operations, forecasting, and community health outcomes. Identifies best practices of leaders of CAHs with low financial risk despite operating in challenging environments.
Author(s): Shartia R. Thomas, Kristin Reiter, George H. Pink
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
view details
Confronting Rural America's Health Care Crisis
Offers policy recommendations to stabilize the rural healthcare infrastructure and ensuring local access to care. Discusses strategies to provide financial relief to rural providers, preserve obstetric services, expand telehealth services, and address workforce shortages. Includes brief references to policy actions taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additional links: Rural Hospital Transformation Models, Summary, The Case for Expanding Telehealth Services, July 2020
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center Rural Health Task Force
view details
Offers policy recommendations to stabilize the rural healthcare infrastructure and ensuring local access to care. Discusses strategies to provide financial relief to rural providers, preserve obstetric services, expand telehealth services, and address workforce shortages. Includes brief references to policy actions taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additional links: Rural Hospital Transformation Models, Summary, The Case for Expanding Telehealth Services, July 2020
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center Rural Health Task Force
view details
Impact of CAH Participation in Flex Financial and Operations Improvement Activities on Hospital Financial Indicators
Explores the association between Critical Access Hospitals' (CAH) participation in financial and operational improvement activities between 2015 and 2018 with improved financial indicators. Compares CAH financial indicators and other variables including Rural Health Clinic operation, ownership type, and census region, by the number of years of participation in CAH improvement activities.
Author(s): Kathleen Knocke, Kristin Reiter, George H. Pink
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
view details
Explores the association between Critical Access Hospitals' (CAH) participation in financial and operational improvement activities between 2015 and 2018 with improved financial indicators. Compares CAH financial indicators and other variables including Rural Health Clinic operation, ownership type, and census region, by the number of years of participation in CAH improvement activities.
Author(s): Kathleen Knocke, Kristin Reiter, George H. Pink
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
view details
MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on Contract Year 2021 and 2022 Policy and Technical Changes to Medicare Advantage and Part D
Responds to a proposed rule to revise regulations for Medicare Advantage (MA) and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit program (Part D). Provides comments on CMS proposals regarding out-of-network telehealth benefits, updates to the quality rating models for MA and Part D plans, and changes to MA network adequacy standards. Discusses how changes to network adequacy standards would impact access to dialysis facilities for beneficiaries in micropolitan counties, rural counties, and counties with extreme access considerations (CEAC).
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Responds to a proposed rule to revise regulations for Medicare Advantage (MA) and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit program (Part D). Provides comments on CMS proposals regarding out-of-network telehealth benefits, updates to the quality rating models for MA and Part D plans, and changes to MA network adequacy standards. Discusses how changes to network adequacy standards would impact access to dialysis facilities for beneficiaries in micropolitan counties, rural counties, and counties with extreme access considerations (CEAC).
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Second Report to Congress: Social Risk Factors and Performance in Medicare's Value-Based Purchasing Programs
Analyzes the effect of individuals' social risk factors on quality measures, resource utilization, and other Medicare program measures using Medicare and non-Medicare data sources. Describes how Medicare value-based purchasing (VBP) programs impact providers who serve socially at-risk beneficiaries. Categorizes rurality as a social risk factor. Explores emerging trends among providers addressing social risk factors through cooperation with social services and community-based organizations. Offers policy recommendations for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to account for social risk factors in VBP programs and achieve better outcomes for those with social risk factors. Second of two reports required by the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation (IMPACT) Act of 2014. See the first report.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
view details
Analyzes the effect of individuals' social risk factors on quality measures, resource utilization, and other Medicare program measures using Medicare and non-Medicare data sources. Describes how Medicare value-based purchasing (VBP) programs impact providers who serve socially at-risk beneficiaries. Categorizes rurality as a social risk factor. Explores emerging trends among providers addressing social risk factors through cooperation with social services and community-based organizations. Offers policy recommendations for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to account for social risk factors in VBP programs and achieve better outcomes for those with social risk factors. Second of two reports required by the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation (IMPACT) Act of 2014. See the first report.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
view details
Antibiotic Resistance: Additional Federal Actions Needed to Better Determine Magnitude and Reduce Impact
Explores four challenges that federal agencies face in addressing antibiotic resistance. Provides eight recommendations for federal agencies to strengthen their efforts to combat antibiotic resistance. Includes references to antibiotic stewardship guidance and programs for Critical Access Hospitals throughout.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Explores four challenges that federal agencies face in addressing antibiotic resistance. Provides eight recommendations for federal agencies to strengthen their efforts to combat antibiotic resistance. Includes references to antibiotic stewardship guidance and programs for Critical Access Hospitals throughout.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details