Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare quality
Patients' Experiences in CAHs: HCAHPS Results, 2015
Results from the calendar year 2015 Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, summarizing reporting rates and performance among all U.S. Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Includes detailed tables that allow state-by-state comparison of response rates and overall CAH performance, as well as links to specific state reports.
Author(s): Michelle Casey, Tami Swenson, Alex Evenson
Date: 01/2017
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Results from the calendar year 2015 Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, summarizing reporting rates and performance among all U.S. Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Includes detailed tables that allow state-by-state comparison of response rates and overall CAH performance, as well as links to specific state reports.
Author(s): Michelle Casey, Tami Swenson, Alex Evenson
Date: 01/2017
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Accounting for Social Risk Factors in Medicare Payment
Fifth and final report in a series designed to identify social risk factors that affect the health outcomes of Medicare beneficiaries and methods to account for these factors in Medicare payment programs. Offers thoughts about selecting the best methods to account for social risk factors and achieve policy goals. Chapter 2 includes a discussion about urbanicity and rurality, and suggests that a beneficiary's place of residence is a stronger indicator of social risk than their provider's location. Report was assembled by an ad hoc committee under the direction of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Planning and Evaluation.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Committee on Accounting for Socioeconomic Status in Medicare Payment Programs
Date: 01/2017
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Fifth and final report in a series designed to identify social risk factors that affect the health outcomes of Medicare beneficiaries and methods to account for these factors in Medicare payment programs. Offers thoughts about selecting the best methods to account for social risk factors and achieve policy goals. Chapter 2 includes a discussion about urbanicity and rurality, and suggests that a beneficiary's place of residence is a stronger indicator of social risk than their provider's location. Report was assembled by an ad hoc committee under the direction of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Planning and Evaluation.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Committee on Accounting for Socioeconomic Status in Medicare Payment Programs
Date: 01/2017
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Indian Health Service: Actions Needed to Improve Oversight of Quality of Care
Reports results from a performance audit conducted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) from March 2016 through January 2017, examining IHS's oversight of quality of care in its federally operated facilities. Draws conclusions based on a review of policies related to quality of care, interviews with IHS officials at the headquarters and area offices, and examination of documents from governance meetings. Makes recommendations to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on actions that can be taken to help ensure quality care is provided in federally operated IHS facilities. Appendices include the responding comments from HHS and provide additional information about leadership turnover at IHS offices and facilities.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2017
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Reports results from a performance audit conducted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) from March 2016 through January 2017, examining IHS's oversight of quality of care in its federally operated facilities. Draws conclusions based on a review of policies related to quality of care, interviews with IHS officials at the headquarters and area offices, and examination of documents from governance meetings. Makes recommendations to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on actions that can be taken to help ensure quality care is provided in federally operated IHS facilities. Appendices include the responding comments from HHS and provide additional information about leadership turnover at IHS offices and facilities.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2017
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Bridging Gaps in Mental Health Care: Lessons Learned from the Welcome Back Veterans Initiative
Details a study on the role of privately funded programs filling in the gaps between the Military Health System (MHS), the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and civilian healthcare providers in providing mental healthcare to veterans returning from deployment.
Date: 2017
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Details a study on the role of privately funded programs filling in the gaps between the Military Health System (MHS), the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and civilian healthcare providers in providing mental healthcare to veterans returning from deployment.
Date: 2017
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Impact of Early Do-Not-Attempt-Resuscitation Orders on Procedures and Outcomes of Severe Sepsis
Examines the impact of early Do-Not-Attempt-Resuscitation (DNAR) orders on in-hospital mortality and interventional procedures among severe sepsis hospitalizations. Determines patient characteristics among the sepsis DNAR population that affect outcomes. Includes statistics of severe sepsis visits with and without early DNAR orders by various demographics, primary payer, urban and rural hospital locations, and other clinical indicators.
Author(s): Neza N. Sarkari, Sarah M. Perman, Adit A. Ginde
Citation: Journal of Critical Care, 36, 134-139
Date: 12/2016
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Examines the impact of early Do-Not-Attempt-Resuscitation (DNAR) orders on in-hospital mortality and interventional procedures among severe sepsis hospitalizations. Determines patient characteristics among the sepsis DNAR population that affect outcomes. Includes statistics of severe sepsis visits with and without early DNAR orders by various demographics, primary payer, urban and rural hospital locations, and other clinical indicators.
Author(s): Neza N. Sarkari, Sarah M. Perman, Adit A. Ginde
Citation: Journal of Critical Care, 36, 134-139
Date: 12/2016
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Potentially Preventable Hospitalizations for Acute and Chronic Conditions in Alaska, 2010–2012
Estimates potentially preventable hospitalizations (PPH) for acute and chronic conditions among Alaskan adults aged 18 years and older from 2010 to 2012. Includes statistics on PPH, for both acute and chronic conditions, and all other hospitalizations by sex, age group, hospital location, and expected payment source.
Author(s): Prabhu P. Gounder, Sara M. Seeman, Robert C. Holman, et al.
Citation: Preventive Medicine Reports, 4, 614-621
Date: 12/2016
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Estimates potentially preventable hospitalizations (PPH) for acute and chronic conditions among Alaskan adults aged 18 years and older from 2010 to 2012. Includes statistics on PPH, for both acute and chronic conditions, and all other hospitalizations by sex, age group, hospital location, and expected payment source.
Author(s): Prabhu P. Gounder, Sara M. Seeman, Robert C. Holman, et al.
Citation: Preventive Medicine Reports, 4, 614-621
Date: 12/2016
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Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation: Report to Congress
Details the activities and progress of the CMS Innovation Center, focusing on the time period between October 1, 2014, and September 30, 2016. Includes updates on multiple rural-relevant models and initiatives such as the Accountable Care Organization Investment Model, Health Care Innovation Awards, and the Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns initiative.
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Details the activities and progress of the CMS Innovation Center, focusing on the time period between October 1, 2014, and September 30, 2016. Includes updates on multiple rural-relevant models and initiatives such as the Accountable Care Organization Investment Model, Health Care Innovation Awards, and the Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns initiative.
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Report to Congress: Social Risk Factors and Performance Under Medicare's Value-Based Purchasing Program
Uses Medicare data to examine the relationship between social risk factors and the performance of value-based purchasing programs. Discusses policy considerations that could help ensure value-based purchasing programs achieve their intended results, especially among high social risk populations. Categorizes rurality as a community risk factor and discusses whether beneficiaries with social risk factors such as rurality have worse outcomes due to their social risk profile, or because of the providers they see. Also provides rural-specific statistics and recommendations for using value-based purchasing to improve health outcomes among high social risk populations. Appendices summarize and provide additional details for each of the 9 programs evaluated. See the second report.
Additional links: Appendices
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Uses Medicare data to examine the relationship between social risk factors and the performance of value-based purchasing programs. Discusses policy considerations that could help ensure value-based purchasing programs achieve their intended results, especially among high social risk populations. Categorizes rurality as a community risk factor and discusses whether beneficiaries with social risk factors such as rurality have worse outcomes due to their social risk profile, or because of the providers they see. Also provides rural-specific statistics and recommendations for using value-based purchasing to improve health outcomes among high social risk populations. Appendices summarize and provide additional details for each of the 9 programs evaluated. See the second report.
Additional links: Appendices
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Medicare Value-Based Payment Models: Participation Challenges and Available Assistance for Small and Rural Practices
Identifies challenges faced by small and rural physician practices when participating in Medicare's new value-based payment models, and groups them into five key areas: financial resources and risk management, health IT and data, population health management care delivery, quality and efficiency performance measurement and reporting, and effects of model participation and managing compliance with requirements. Also identifies two types of organizations, partner and non-partner, along with the services they provide, that can help small and rural practices overcome these challenges.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Identifies challenges faced by small and rural physician practices when participating in Medicare's new value-based payment models, and groups them into five key areas: financial resources and risk management, health IT and data, population health management care delivery, quality and efficiency performance measurement and reporting, and effects of model participation and managing compliance with requirements. Also identifies two types of organizations, partner and non-partner, along with the services they provide, that can help small and rural practices overcome these challenges.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Rural Health Networks and Care Coordination: Health Care Innovation in Frontier Communities to Improve Patient Outcomes and Reduce Health Care Costs
Discusses the findings of a single-case, community-based participatory design study in a frontier community in northern Minnesota to determine the effectiveness of developing a community care team focused on collaboration and care coordination to improve patient outcomes and reduce emergency room use.
Author(s): Pat Conway, Heidi Favet, Laurie Hall, Jenny Uhrich, Jeanette Palcher, et al.
Citation: Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 27(4A), 91–115
Date: 11/2016
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Discusses the findings of a single-case, community-based participatory design study in a frontier community in northern Minnesota to determine the effectiveness of developing a community care team focused on collaboration and care coordination to improve patient outcomes and reduce emergency room use.
Author(s): Pat Conway, Heidi Favet, Laurie Hall, Jenny Uhrich, Jeanette Palcher, et al.
Citation: Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 27(4A), 91–115
Date: 11/2016
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