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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Outpatient care

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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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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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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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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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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HIV Testing Trends at Visits to Physician Offices, Community Health Centers, and Emergency Departments — United States, 2009–2017
Examines HIV testing by setting for visits of males and nonpregnant females to physician offices, community health centers, and emergency departments. Includes data for metropolitan and nonmetro areas.
Author(s): Karen W. Hoover, Ya-Lin A. Huang, Mary L. Tanner, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(25), 776-780
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy, 2020
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.
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2017 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: 01/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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A Systematic Review of Rural-specific Barriers to Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in the United States
Analyzes a number of studies looking at medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder in rural areas. Explores barriers to accessing MAT in rural areas and makes rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): Jamey J. Lister, Addie Weaver, Jennifer D. Ellis, Joseph A. Himle, David M. Ledgerwood
Citation: The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Date: 12/2019
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Hospital Utilization Among Rural Children Served by Pediatric Neurology Telemedicine Clinics
Compares rates of emergency department visits and hospital admissions at a California academic children's hospital with similar groups of patients who received outpatient pediatric neurology care at remote telemedicine clinics or in-person clinics. Features statistics including baseline characteristics among telemedicine and in-person cohorts, and hospital encounter frequencies and rates.
Author(s): Parul Dayal, Celia H. Chang, William S. Benko
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 2(8)
Date: 08/2019
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