Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Outpatient care
Trends in Outpatient Telemedicine Utilization Among Rural Medicare Beneficiaries, 2010 to 2019
Examines the growth of telehealth utilization among rural Medicare beneficiaries between 2010-2019. Compares telehealth use across beneficiaries with a severe mental illness diagnosis, other mental health diagnoses, and with no mental health diagnoses. Describes trends for mental health versus non-mental health visits and across clinician specialties. Presents data on rural Medicare beneficiary characteristics with and without a telemedicine visit in 2019, including age, race and ethnicity, sex, U.S. Census division, and more.
Author(s): Michael L. Barnett, Haiden A. Huskamp, Alisa B. Bush, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 2(10), e213282
Date: 10/2021
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Examines the growth of telehealth utilization among rural Medicare beneficiaries between 2010-2019. Compares telehealth use across beneficiaries with a severe mental illness diagnosis, other mental health diagnoses, and with no mental health diagnoses. Describes trends for mental health versus non-mental health visits and across clinician specialties. Presents data on rural Medicare beneficiary characteristics with and without a telemedicine visit in 2019, including age, race and ethnicity, sex, U.S. Census division, and more.
Author(s): Michael L. Barnett, Haiden A. Huskamp, Alisa B. Bush, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 2(10), e213282
Date: 10/2021
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Medicare Covers a Lower Percentage of Outpatient Costs in Hospitals Located in Rural Areas
Policy brief describing differences in Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) payments between urban and rural hospitals. Features statistics on OPPS payments as a percent of total net patient revenue, as a percent of Medicare outpatient cost by hospital payment classification, and as a percent of Medicare outpatient cost by number of acute beds, with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Author(s): Pranathi Sana, George H. Pink
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Policy brief describing differences in Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) payments between urban and rural hospitals. Features statistics on OPPS payments as a percent of total net patient revenue, as a percent of Medicare outpatient cost by hospital payment classification, and as a percent of Medicare outpatient cost by number of acute beds, with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Author(s): Pranathi Sana, George H. Pink
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Higher Electronic Health Record (EHR) Functionality Lowers Urban Hospital Costs but Rural Impacts Are Minimal
Examines the relationship between electronic health record (EHR) functionality and hospital costs. Compares the effect of increasing EHR functionality in urban and rural hospitals and by inpatient and outpatient service categories.
Author(s): Claudia Alejandra Rhoades, Brian E. Whitacre, Alison F. Davis
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Center for Economic Analysis of Rural Health
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Examines the relationship between electronic health record (EHR) functionality and hospital costs. Compares the effect of increasing EHR functionality in urban and rural hospitals and by inpatient and outpatient service categories.
Author(s): Claudia Alejandra Rhoades, Brian E. Whitacre, Alison F. Davis
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Center for Economic Analysis of Rural Health
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Rural Veterans' Experiences With Outpatient Care in the Veterans Health Administration Versus Community Care
Compares rural veterans' experiences with community care (CC) and Veterans Administration (VA) outpatient healthcare services to those of urban veterans, and examines changes over time. Features demographic statistics with breakdowns by rural CC and rural VA patients, and ratings for 4 healthcare experiences and outcome measures for rural and urban veterans in fiscal years 2016 and 2019.
Author(s): Heather Davila, Amy K. Rosen, Erin Beilstein-Wedel, et al.
Citation: Medical Care, 59, S286-S291
Date: 06/2021
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Compares rural veterans' experiences with community care (CC) and Veterans Administration (VA) outpatient healthcare services to those of urban veterans, and examines changes over time. Features demographic statistics with breakdowns by rural CC and rural VA patients, and ratings for 4 healthcare experiences and outcome measures for rural and urban veterans in fiscal years 2016 and 2019.
Author(s): Heather Davila, Amy K. Rosen, Erin Beilstein-Wedel, et al.
Citation: Medical Care, 59, S286-S291
Date: 06/2021
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National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2018 Emergency Department Summary Tables
Provides data on ambulatory care emergency department (ED) hospital visits. Table 1 provides metropolitan/nonmetropolitan ED visit data based on hospital location, Table 2 includes metro/nonmetro ED visit data by location of patient residence, and Table 14 has metro/nonmetro injury visit data based on hospital location.
Date: 05/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Provides data on ambulatory care emergency department (ED) hospital visits. Table 1 provides metropolitan/nonmetropolitan ED visit data based on hospital location, Table 2 includes metro/nonmetro ED visit data by location of patient residence, and Table 14 has metro/nonmetro injury visit data based on hospital location.
Date: 05/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2021
Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses payment adequacy for healthcare facilities and services, improving Medicare payment for post-acute care, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and the impact of healthcare provider consolidation. Contains information on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Medicare beneficiary healthcare access, mortality, and service use. Presents an option for Medicare's coverage of telehealth beyond the public health emergency.
Date: 03/2021
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Annual review of Medicare payment policies, with recommendations to Congress. Includes discussion on Medicare payment policies directly affecting rural providers and beneficiaries. Addresses payment adequacy for healthcare facilities and services, improving Medicare payment for post-acute care, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and the impact of healthcare provider consolidation. Contains information on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Medicare beneficiary healthcare access, mortality, and service use. Presents an option for Medicare's coverage of telehealth beyond the public health emergency.
Date: 03/2021
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Rural Promising Practice Issue Brief: Geriatric Scholars Training Program
Details a Veterans Administration training program model for providers practicing in Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) or in home-based primary care serving elderly (65+) rural veterans. Features examples of promising results, implementation information, and adoption considerations.
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health
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Details a Veterans Administration training program model for providers practicing in Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) or in home-based primary care serving elderly (65+) rural veterans. Features examples of promising results, implementation information, and adoption considerations.
Date: 02/2021
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health
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Association of CMS-HCC Risk Scores with Health Care Utilization among Rural and Urban Medicare Beneficiaries
Research brief exploring healthcare utilization by rural and urban Medicare beneficiaries in order to better understand CMS Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCCs) and accurately apply the CMS-HCC risk score model. Analyzes 2014 CMS-HCC risk score data for different healthcare outcomes, including inpatient and outpatient ER visits, acute inpatient stays, and hospital readmissions, comparing rural and urban populations.
Author(s): Tyler Malone, Denise Kirk, Randy Randolph, Kristin Reiter
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Research brief exploring healthcare utilization by rural and urban Medicare beneficiaries in order to better understand CMS Hierarchical Condition Categories (HCCs) and accurately apply the CMS-HCC risk score model. Analyzes 2014 CMS-HCC risk score data for different healthcare outcomes, including inpatient and outpatient ER visits, acute inpatient stays, and hospital readmissions, comparing rural and urban populations.
Author(s): Tyler Malone, Denise Kirk, Randy Randolph, Kristin Reiter
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Pharmacist-Led Chronic Care Management for Medically Underserved Rural Populations in Florida During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Describes how ambulatory care pharmacists and student pharmacists are implementing telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide chronic care management to underserved, rural communities in Florida. Discusses implications for public health.
Author(s): Madison Como, Chenita White Carter, Margareth Larose-Pierre, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 17:200265
Date: 07/2020
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Describes how ambulatory care pharmacists and student pharmacists are implementing telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide chronic care management to underserved, rural communities in Florida. Discusses implications for public health.
Author(s): Madison Como, Chenita White Carter, Margareth Larose-Pierre, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 17:200265
Date: 07/2020
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Rural Healthcare Surge Readiness
Resources for rural healthcare systems preparing for and responding to a COVID-19 surge. Includes resources for emergency medical services, inpatient and hospital care, ambulatory care, and long-term care settings. Addresses a wide range of topics including healthcare operations, space, supplies, funding, and more.
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: COVID-19 Healthcare Resilience Working Group
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Resources for rural healthcare systems preparing for and responding to a COVID-19 surge. Includes resources for emergency medical services, inpatient and hospital care, ambulatory care, and long-term care settings. Addresses a wide range of topics including healthcare operations, space, supplies, funding, and more.
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: COVID-19 Healthcare Resilience Working Group
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