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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare quality

Are Rural and Urban Emergency Departments Equally Prepared to Reduce Avoidable Hospitalizations?
Presents the results of a cross-sectional, web-based survey sent to medical directors and/or nurse managers from 135 hospital-based emergency departments (EDs) in Michigan. Examines the rural and urban differences in the presence of clinical pathways, services to reduce admissions, barriers connecting patients to outpatient services, and the availability of resources to reduce or prevent avoidable admissions.
Author(s): Margaret B. Greenwood-Ericksen, Michelle L. Macy, Jason Ham, et al.
Citation: Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 20(3), 477-484
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
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Population-Based Trauma Outcomes
Final report of a committee funded by the Department of Health and Human Services to identify and measure concepts, and prioritize measure gaps for evaluating population-based trauma care outcomes. Includes the framework for evaluating trauma care at a regional or population level comprising access to trauma services, cost and resource use, trauma clinical care, and prevention of trauma. Discusses issues related to rural access to trauma care and potential measures and measure adaptations for rural areas, as well as listing measures developed by the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center.
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Strategy Map and BSC Learning Collaborative Recordings
Offers a series of 5 webinar recordings with rural hospitals and experts on how to use the included templates to create a Balanced Scorecard and Strategy Map. Addresses best practices on demonstrating value, developing metrics to drive performance, using self-assessment results for strategic planning, and more.
Date: 05/2019
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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The Race to Value-Based Payment
Slides from a presentation at the 2019 National Rural Health Association (NRHA) annual meeting on value-based payment. Highlights different models of payment transitioning from fee-for-service to value-based payment as well as facilitators and strategies used.
Author(s): Keith J. Mueller
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Rural Success: Abrom Kaplan Memorial Hospital, LA
Highlights the success of a Critical Access Hospital in Louisiana in receiving high cleanliness scores and care transitions scores on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. Discusses their initiative to reduce C. difficile infections, strategies for communication and cleaning, emergency department transitions, and teamwork recognition.
Citation: MBQIP Monthly, 1-2
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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What You Need to Know: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 2019 ORYX® Performance Measure Reporting Requirements
Provides information for The Joint Commission accredited hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) on the 2019 ORYX performance measure reporting requirements.
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Joint Commission
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Isolated, Small, and Large Hospitals Have Fewer Nursing Resources than Urban Hospitals: Implications for Rural Health Policy
Describes the nurse work environment, nurse education, nursing skill mix, and patient-to-registered nurse (RN) ratios across hospitals in California, Florida, and Pennsylvania. Examines how the findings differ by urban, large, small, and isolated hospitals, and discusses the potential impact on patient outcomes.
Author(s): Jessica G. Smith, Colin M. Plover, Moira C. McChesney, Eileen T. Lake
Citation: Public Health Nursing, 36(4), 469-477
Date: 04/2019
Type: Document
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Overview of HCUP
Documents all aspects of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), a national resource of hospital inpatient, ambulatory surgery and services, and emergency department data. Describes HCUP online resources for accessing data and related reports. Includes a list of data elements, with information on which are available by urban/rural location.
Date: 04/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Hospital Compare Quality Measure Results for CAHs, 2017
Examines Hospital Compare inpatient and outpatient process of care and structural measures among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in 2017. Includes data on reporting rates and performance for specific quality measures, and state-by-state comparison of CAH reporting rates for inpatient and outpatient measures.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Tongtan Chantarat, Mariah Quick, Ashleigh Norris, Ira Moscovice
Date: 04/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Bacon County Hospital Advances Toward Population Health
Highlights a 25-bed acute care hospital in Alma, Georgia that worked with the Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) project to improve its finances and operations. Summarizes projects that expanded telemedicine services, increased point-of-service collections, built awareness of quality performance and services, and addressed community needs.
Date: 04/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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