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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Healthcare Quality – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Healthcare Quality.

Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): Eligibility and Participation in the 2023 Performance Year - Traditional MIPS
Provides an overview of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) eligibility criteria. Addresses calculation of the low-volume threshold exclusion at the individual and group levels, opt-in and voluntary reporting options, and the impact of special status designations such as rural and small practices.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Financial Risk Acceptance among Rural Health Care Providers Participating in the Quality Payment Program
Summarizes nonmetropolitan and metropolitan providers' participation in different Quality Payment Program tracks and subdivisions, and evaluates provider and patient-panel characteristics associated with financial risk acceptance. Features statistics on risk acceptance with breakdowns by specialty type and metropolitan status, and patient panel characteristics by risk type.
Author(s): Xi Zhu, Mina Shrestha, Fred Ullrich, Keith Mueller
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report: Chartbook on Patient Safety
Summarizes trends in healthcare quality and disparities for metro (urban) to noncore (rural) populations. Includes quality measures for patient safety, person-centered care, care coordination, effective treatment, healthy living, and affordability.
Author(s): Barbara Barton, Darryl Gray, Cecilia Hahn, et al.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): Participating in the Improvement Activities Performance Category in the 2023 Performance Year - Traditional MIPS
Provides details on how to participate in the performance improvement part of the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), one of two tracks under the Medicare Quality Payment Program. Identifies differences for small practices and clinicians located in a rural or Health Professional Shortage Area.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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NQF 2022 Activities: Report to Congress and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services
Summarizes the 2021 work of the National Quality Forum to measure healthcare quality. Includes a discussion on leveraging quality measures to improve rural health.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): 2023 Merit-Based Incentive Payment (MIPS) Value Pathways (MVPs) Implementation Guide
Provides an overview of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) Value Pathways (MVPs), a new voluntary reporting option that can be used to meet MIPS reporting requirements beginning with the 2023 performance year. Describes subgroup reporting, reporting requirements, scoring, performance feedback and public reporting, and how to register to report an MVP. Includes information on considerations and exceptions for small practices and clinicians in a rural or Health Professional Shortage Area.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Small Practice After Action Review: 2021 Performance Year Final Score
Tool for small practices interested in examining their 2021 Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) final score to identify opportunities to improve performance in 2023.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Tool
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Impact of Tele-Emergency Consultations on Pediatric Interfacility Transfers: A Cluster-Randomized Crossover Trial
Results of a study examining the use of pediatric critical care telemedicine compared with telephone consultations associated with transfer rates of acutely ill children from community and rural emergency departments. Features statistics including baseline characteristics and disposition of patients in the telemedicine and telephone groups.
Author(s): James P. Marcin, Hadley S. Sauers-Ford, Jamie L. Mouzoon, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(2)
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
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Catalog of Value-Based Initiatives for Rural Providers
Summarizes rural-relevant, value-based programs currently or recently implemented by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the CMS Innovation Center. Designed to help rural healthcare leaders identify HHS value-based programs that are suitable for rural participation. Contains descriptions of each demonstration and provides direct links to the corresponding agency web page.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): Traditional MIPS Scoring Guide for the 2022 Performance Year
Provides details on how scores are calculated for the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), one of two payment options under the Medicare Quality Payment Program. Explains the four performance categories that affect Medicare Physician Fee Schedule payments: quality, cost, improvement activities, and promoting interoperability. Includes information for small and rural practices.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Last Updated: 3/27/2023