Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare quality
MBQIP 2025 Measure Core Set Information Guide
Provides an overview of the 2025 Core Measure Set adopted by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) for use in the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP). Offers descriptions, rationales, data elements, data availability, resources, and more for each new and continuing measure.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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Provides an overview of the 2025 Core Measure Set adopted by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) for use in the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP). Offers descriptions, rationales, data elements, data availability, resources, and more for each new and continuing measure.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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Current Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP) Measures
Chart outlining the required and optional MBQIP measures. Measures are broken down into two categories, core and additional, and then into five domains: global measures, patient safety, patient engagement, care coordination, and emergency department. MBQIP is a Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) quality improvement grant program for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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Chart outlining the required and optional MBQIP measures. Measures are broken down into two categories, core and additional, and then into five domains: global measures, patient safety, patient engagement, care coordination, and emergency department. MBQIP is a Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility (Flex) quality improvement grant program for Critical Access Hospitals.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Quality Improvement Technical Assistance (RQITA) Resource Center
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Rural Health Clinic: 2026 National Patient Safety Goals
Identifies National Patient Safety Goals for the Joint Commission's Rural Health Clinic Accreditation Program. Covers patient identification, medication safety, infection prevention, and more. Effective January 1, 2026.
Additional links: Simplified Version
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Joint Commission
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Identifies National Patient Safety Goals for the Joint Commission's Rural Health Clinic Accreditation Program. Covers patient identification, medication safety, infection prevention, and more. Effective January 1, 2026.
Additional links: Simplified Version
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Joint Commission
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The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Investments in Primary Care Research for 2023 and 2024
Provides an overview of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) primary care research investments in 2023 and 2024. See document pages 88-90 for summaries of rural primary care research grants.
Additional links: At-a-Glance: AHRQ's Recent Investments in Primary Care Research
Author(s): Jessie Gerteis, Neve Brennan, Jessica McNab, et al.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Provides an overview of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's (AHRQ) primary care research investments in 2023 and 2024. See document pages 88-90 for summaries of rural primary care research grants.
Additional links: At-a-Glance: AHRQ's Recent Investments in Primary Care Research
Author(s): Jessie Gerteis, Neve Brennan, Jessica McNab, et al.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Workforce Impact of Emergency Department Boarding
Surveys 195 emergency department (ED) physicians about the impact of ED boarding on clinician wellness, burnout, moral injury, and workplace violence. Discusses policy ideas to alleviate challenges. Includes an urban, suburban, and rural breakdown of survey respondents.
Author(s): Vicki Norton, Kraftin E. Schreyer, Diane Kuhn
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 3(8)
Date: 08/2025
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Surveys 195 emergency department (ED) physicians about the impact of ED boarding on clinician wellness, burnout, moral injury, and workplace violence. Discusses policy ideas to alleviate challenges. Includes an urban, suburban, and rural breakdown of survey respondents.
Author(s): Vicki Norton, Kraftin E. Schreyer, Diane Kuhn
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 3(8)
Date: 08/2025
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Outcomes in Pregnant Patients with Congenital Heart Disease by Rurality
Examines associations between rurality, major adverse cardiac events, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and neonatal outcomes in pregnant women with congenital heart disease, utilizing 2016-2021 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project-National Inpatient Sample data. Discusses factors influencing access to care, quality of care, and patient outcomes in rural communities.
Author(s): Mehr Jain, Franklin Iheanacho, Kristen Sparagna, et al.
Citation: Journal of Perinatal Medicine, 53(7), 900-907
Date: 08/2025
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Examines associations between rurality, major adverse cardiac events, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and neonatal outcomes in pregnant women with congenital heart disease, utilizing 2016-2021 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project-National Inpatient Sample data. Discusses factors influencing access to care, quality of care, and patient outcomes in rural communities.
Author(s): Mehr Jain, Franklin Iheanacho, Kristen Sparagna, et al.
Citation: Journal of Perinatal Medicine, 53(7), 900-907
Date: 08/2025
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Bridging Rural Communities: Telehealth Innovations for Appalachia and Beyond
Video series on innovative approaches to telehealth in rural Appalachia, hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Center (MATRC) on August 1, 2025. Features speakers on telehealth use in veterans' healthcare, substance use recovery, palliative care, mental health, healthy aging, emergency preparedness and response, cancer screening, and other topics related to healthcare access, quality of care, and healthcare economics. Transcripts are available via video descriptions.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center
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Video series on innovative approaches to telehealth in rural Appalachia, hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Center (MATRC) on August 1, 2025. Features speakers on telehealth use in veterans' healthcare, substance use recovery, palliative care, mental health, healthy aging, emergency preparedness and response, cancer screening, and other topics related to healthcare access, quality of care, and healthcare economics. Transcripts are available via video descriptions.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Mid-Atlantic Telehealth Resource Center
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Skill Mix Versus Flexibility: Decoding Nurse Staffing Impacts on Critical Access Hospitals
Presents a study on the skill mix and flexibility of nurse staffing on the financial stability, care quality, and efficacy of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in Pennsylvania from 2000 to 2023. Correlates skill mix and flexibility with hospital outcomes and controls for hospital-specific, socioeconomic, and demographic factors.
Author(s): Dinesh R. Pai, Esmaeil Bahalkeh
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(3), e70075
Date: 08/2025
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Presents a study on the skill mix and flexibility of nurse staffing on the financial stability, care quality, and efficacy of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in Pennsylvania from 2000 to 2023. Correlates skill mix and flexibility with hospital outcomes and controls for hospital-specific, socioeconomic, and demographic factors.
Author(s): Dinesh R. Pai, Esmaeil Bahalkeh
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(3), e70075
Date: 08/2025
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End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices (ETC) Model: Third Annual Evaluation Report, Calendar Years 2021-2023
Evaluation of the End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices (ETC) Model, incorporating analyses of home dialysis use, waitlisting for a kidney transplant, living donor and deceased donor transplantation, utilization of services, Medicare payments, and quality of care. Features results from interviews and surveys involving model participants and beneficiaries, and examines impacts of the first three years of the ETC Model, 2021-2023. Explores if the impacts of the ETC Model differed by patient subgroup, including rural residence.
Additional links: Appendices, Executive Summary, Findings at a Glance
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, The Lewin Group
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Evaluation of the End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices (ETC) Model, incorporating analyses of home dialysis use, waitlisting for a kidney transplant, living donor and deceased donor transplantation, utilization of services, Medicare payments, and quality of care. Features results from interviews and surveys involving model participants and beneficiaries, and examines impacts of the first three years of the ETC Model, 2021-2023. Explores if the impacts of the ETC Model differed by patient subgroup, including rural residence.
Additional links: Appendices, Executive Summary, Findings at a Glance
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, The Lewin Group
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The Impact of Telehealth on Cost and Time Efficiency for Patients With Disabilities During Nonemergency Encounters: A Scoping Review
A scoping review of 2018-2024 studies focused on telehealth and related themes of efficiency, clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and increased access to healthcare for people with chronic disabilities. Analyzes 8 studies on telehealth and includes commentary on its effectiveness in rural areas.
Author(s): Kaushalya Mendis, Veda Priya Puligundla, Myles Rosenzweig, et al.
Citation: The Permanente Journal
Date: 08/2025
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A scoping review of 2018-2024 studies focused on telehealth and related themes of efficiency, clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and increased access to healthcare for people with chronic disabilities. Analyzes 8 studies on telehealth and includes commentary on its effectiveness in rural areas.
Author(s): Kaushalya Mendis, Veda Priya Puligundla, Myles Rosenzweig, et al.
Citation: The Permanente Journal
Date: 08/2025
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