This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare quality

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
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details
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
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
view details
Evaluating Breast Cancer Care Coordination at a Rural National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center Using Network Analysis and Geospatial Methods
Examines geographic access data for breast cancer patients served by a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in New England. Discusses cancer care coordination, physician networks, and care network density (the amount of patient sharing among providers in a care network) to evaluate healthcare quality and outcomes.
Author(s): Erika L. Moen, Nirav S. Kapadia, A. James O'Malley, Tracy Onega
Citation: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, 28(3), 455-461
Date: 03/2019
view details
End-tidal CO2 Monitoring is Available in Most Community Hospitals in a Rural State: A Health System Survey
Examines the use of capnography with procedural sedation and analgesia (PSA) in emergency departments (ED) across Iowa. Data is broken down by hospital staffing level, ED volume, and hospital type, including Critical Access Hospitals, Rural Referral Hospitals, rural hospitals, and urban hospitals.
Author(s): Steven A. Ilko, J. Priyanka Vakkalanka, Azeemuddin Ahmed, et al.
Citation: The Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 20(2), 232-236
Date: 03/2019
view details
Primary Care Physician Characteristics Associated with Low Value Care Spending
Highlights study on the relationship between low value care (LVC) and the characteristics of primary care physicians. Looks at physicians' patient panel size, specialty, and region, among other characteristics.
Author(s): Tyler W. Barreto, Yoonkyung Chung, Peter Wingrove, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 32(2), 218-225
Date: 03/2019
view details
Addressing Low Case-Volume in Healthcare Performance Measurement of Rural Providers: Recommendations from the MAP Rural Health Technical Expert Panel
Final report recommending how to measure healthcare performance in low case-volume situations, such as rural providers. Reviews existing and proposed low-volume healthcare quality measures, how measures are calculated, data use, and data analysis techniques. Focuses on Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) quality programs reporting requirements.
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organizations: MAP Rural Health Workgroup, National Quality Forum
view details
Evaluation of the Initiative to Reduce Avoidable Hospitalizations among Nursing Facility Residents - Payment Reform
Second annual report evaluating a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Innovation payment model intended to reduce avoidable hospitalizations for long-term care nursing facility residents. Appendices include findings from participating programs in Alabama, Missouri, Indiana, Nevada, Colorado, New York, and Pennsylvania. Addresses challenges for rural participants throughout.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
view details
Strengthening Medicaid Long-term Services and Supports in an Evolving Policy Environment: A Toolkit for States
Shares strategies states can use to reform their long-term services and supports (LTSS) framework, focusing on improving LTSS in two key areas: rebalancing LTSS to increase the proportion of LTSS provided in community-based settings and integrating LTSS with physical and behavioral health services through managed care. Uses case studies to provide examples of each strategy, and discusses rural considerations throughout.
Additional links: Brief for Legislators, Summary of Reforms
Author(s): Stephanie Anthony, Arielle Traub, Sarah Lewis, et al.
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
view details
Pender Community Hospital Uses SRHT Project to Propel Forward
Highlights a Critical Access Hospital in Nebraska that participated in a Small Rural Hospital Transition (SRHT) project focused on discharge issues, electronic health record improvements, and Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH) status for system clinics. Discusses project implementation, hospital culture, and project outcomes.
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
view details
Where Are They Now: Indian Programs on the GAO High Risk List
Features a Senate Committee on Indian Affairs oversight hearing discussing three high risk programs serving American Indians and Alaska Natives. Features testimony from representatives of the Government Accountability Office, the Bureau of Indian Education, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Indian Health Service.
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
view details