Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Hospitals

In Care Transitions, a Chance to Make or Break Patients' Recovery
Provides an overview of the challenges in patient care transitions rural patients and providers face. Describes the Rural Options At Discharge Model of Active Planning (ROADMAP) project whose goal is to improve discharge planning by addressing the communication between regional and rural hospitals utilizing input from rural patients and providers in Montana to make improvements.
Date: 04/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
view details
A Comparison of Closed Rural Hospitals and Perceived Impact
Compares characteristics of rural hospitals that have closed or have converted to provide a mix of health services but no inpatient care. Measures perceived impact of rural hospital closures.
Author(s): Sharita R. Thomas, Brystana G. Kaufman, Randy K. Randolph, et al.
Date: 04/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
view details
Sole Community Hospitals: Early Indications Show That TRICARE's Revised Reimbursement Rules Have Not Affected Access to Care
Reports on the impact of a January 2014 revision to TRICARE's reimbursement for Sole Community Hospitals (SCHs), which serve primarily rural areas. The new TRICARE reimbursement rules approximate Medicare's for these hospitals. Looks at the impact of revised SCH reimbursement on healthcare access for servicemembers and their dependents. Findings based on claims data, as well as interviews with 10 SCHs and with national stakeholders. Appendices include information on SCHs with a high number of TRICARE admissions.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Hospital Views of Factors Affecting Telemedicine Use
Discusses the observations of rural and urban hospital representatives, from both hub and spoke locations, regarding the obstacles and driving forces in the development and expansion of telemedicine services.
Author(s): Kimberly A. S. Merchant, Marcia M. Ward, Keith J. Mueller,
Date: 04/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
view details
The Impact of Hospital Obstetric Volume on Maternal Outcomes in Term, Non-Low-Birthweight Pregnancies
Analyzes the impact of hospital obstetric volumes on maternal outcomes in low-risk women delivering non-low-birthweight infants at term. Includes hospital obstetric outcome data by rural and non-rural settings and hospital volume category. Compares rural and non-rural hospitals on maternal outcomes and characteristics.
Author(s): Jonathan M. Snowden, Yvonne W. Cheng, Cathy L. Emeis, Aaron B. Caughey
Citation: American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 212(3), 380.e1-380.e9
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
view details
Colorado Critical Access Hospitals and Clinics: Improving Communication and Readmission (iCARE) White Paper
Details how the Colorado Rural Health Center's Improving Communication and Readmission (iCARE) program is improving the patient experience at Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Health Clinics in Colorado by enhancing care coordination and lowering readmission rates.
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Rural Health Center
view details
Evaluation of Hospital-Setting HCIA Awards: First Annual Report, Final
Evaluations of 10 Health Care Innovation Awards Round One projects undertaken in a hospital inpatient or emergency department. Covers projects that involved Critical Access Hospitals and other rural hospitals. Includes projects focused on improved care for sepsis and projects using remote electronic intensive care unit (eICU) services.
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
A Critique of the Office of the Inspector General's Report on Swing Beds in Critical Access Hospitals
Evaluates the methods and data of a March 2015 report from the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, commenting on Medicare reimbursement policy for swing bed services in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Author(s): Kristin L. Reiter, G. Mark Holmes
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
view details
Emergency Department Visits and Proximity to Patients' Residences, 2009-2010
Provides data on how often patients go to the emergency department (ED) closest to their home. Includes comparisons for patients living inside metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and outside MSAs, with data on whether patients visited the closest ED by patient age, hospital visit volume, and ED wait times.
Author(s): Amy M. Brown, Sandra L. Decker, Frederic W. Selck
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
view details
MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2015
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Discussions of rural aspects of Medicare payment policies are included throughout the report.
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details