Rural Healthcare Quality – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Healthcare Quality.
Quality Time: Sharing PIE – Preventing Readmissions
Podcast episode discussing the varied approaches used by quality leaders from three Critical Access Hospitals to reduce readmissions. Covers community partnerships and collaboration with local health and human services providers, including emergency medical services (EMS).
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Podcast episode discussing the varied approaches used by quality leaders from three Critical Access Hospitals to reduce readmissions. Covers community partnerships and collaboration with local health and human services providers, including emergency medical services (EMS).
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Critical Access Hospital Electronic Clinical Quality Measure (eCQM) Resource List
Resource list for electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs), reflecting new materials and updates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for 2022 reporting.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Resource list for electronic clinical quality measures (eCQMs), reflecting new materials and updates from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for 2022 reporting.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
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Building On CMS's Accountable Care Vision To Improve Care For Medicare Beneficiaries
Describes progress the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has made to date in its accountable care strategy. Outlines areas that CMS is exploring to accelerate the growth of and access to accountable care organizations (ACOs) that can support improved care and quality for beneficiaries, especially those in rural and underserved areas. Covers aligning the testing of ACO models and features with the Shared Savings Program (SSP), growth in the SSP, and using ACOs to reach more underserved populations and promote health equity.
Author(s): Purva Rawal, Douglas Jacobs, Elizabeth Fowler, Meena Seshamani
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 07/2023
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Describes progress the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has made to date in its accountable care strategy. Outlines areas that CMS is exploring to accelerate the growth of and access to accountable care organizations (ACOs) that can support improved care and quality for beneficiaries, especially those in rural and underserved areas. Covers aligning the testing of ACO models and features with the Shared Savings Program (SSP), growth in the SSP, and using ACOs to reach more underserved populations and promote health equity.
Author(s): Purva Rawal, Douglas Jacobs, Elizabeth Fowler, Meena Seshamani
Citation: Health Affairs Forefront
Date: 07/2023
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Rural Disparities in the Quality of Clinical Care Are Notable and Larger for Males
Explores the differences in healthcare quality among male and female Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in rural and urban areas. Breaks down data by sex, treatment received, treatment outcomes, and rural versus urban location, among other measures.
Author(s): Sarah MacCarthy, Marc N. Elliott, Steven C. Martino, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(3), 636-642
Date: 06/2023
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Explores the differences in healthcare quality among male and female Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in rural and urban areas. Breaks down data by sex, treatment received, treatment outcomes, and rural versus urban location, among other measures.
Author(s): Sarah MacCarthy, Marc N. Elliott, Steven C. Martino, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(3), 636-642
Date: 06/2023
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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
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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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
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Quality Improvement in Rural Health Care
Policy position paper regarding challenges rural providers face in participating in quality improvement initiatives. Offers policy recommendations on the establishment and support of rural-relevant quality measures.
Author(s): Michelle Mills, Roger Wells
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy position paper regarding challenges rural providers face in participating in quality improvement initiatives. Offers policy recommendations on the establishment and support of rural-relevant quality measures.
Author(s): Michelle Mills, Roger Wells
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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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
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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
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Rural Community Engagement Resource Guide
Describes the importance of community engagement in developing and implementing strategies to improve health, increase value, and drive equitable care delivery. Outlines a variety of toolkits, strategies, and resources to help initiate, improve, and inspire community engagement strategies that support value-based care.
Additional links: Community Engagement and Value Based Care Infographic
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Describes the importance of community engagement in developing and implementing strategies to improve health, increase value, and drive equitable care delivery. Outlines a variety of toolkits, strategies, and resources to help initiate, improve, and inspire community engagement strategies that support value-based care.
Additional links: Community Engagement and Value Based Care Infographic
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Rural Health Equity and Quality Summit Report
Summarizes a June 2022 summit with experts in rural healthcare policy, health equity, value-based care, and clinical quality to explore the roles of small rural hospitals and Rural Health Clinics in achieving health equity. Discusses barriers and challenges to achieving rural health equity. Presents best practices and innovative models in promoting health equity in rural areas.
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Summarizes a June 2022 summit with experts in rural healthcare policy, health equity, value-based care, and clinical quality to explore the roles of small rural hospitals and Rural Health Clinics in achieving health equity. Discusses barriers and challenges to achieving rural health equity. Presents best practices and innovative models in promoting health equity in rural areas.
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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2022 Key Rural Measures: An Updated List of Measures to Advance Rural Health Priorities
Report updating a list of key rural measures focused on rural access to care originally outlined in A Core Set of Rural-Relevant Measures and Measuring and Improving Access to Care: 2018 Recommendations from the MAP Rural Health Workgroup. Identifies 17 measures to add to the 2018 list of rural measures, including items related to behavioral and mental health, substance use, infectious disease, access to care, and equity and social determinants of health. Discusses remaining gaps in measurement topic areas.
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Report updating a list of key rural measures focused on rural access to care originally outlined in A Core Set of Rural-Relevant Measures and Measuring and Improving Access to Care: 2018 Recommendations from the MAP Rural Health Workgroup. Identifies 17 measures to add to the 2018 list of rural measures, including items related to behavioral and mental health, substance use, infectious disease, access to care, and equity and social determinants of health. Discusses remaining gaps in measurement topic areas.
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:
Last Updated: 5/30/2025