Hospitals and clinics
Current Projects
Assessing the Rural Relevance of Hospital Outpatient Quality Measures
Research center:
Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Hospitals and clinics,
Quality
The purpose of this project is to: 1) determine the diagnoses that are most commonly treated and the procedures most commonly performed in rural hospital outpatient settings; and 2) to evaluate the rural relevance of the proposed new CMS outpatient quality measures and other potential outpatient quality measures.
Characteristics and Educational Needs of Rural Acute Care Hospital Boards of Directors
Research center:
South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topic:
Hospitals and clinics
Rural hospital boards face challenges in an environment of increasing legal and financial complexity. This study will characterize rural hospital Board of Directors’ backgrounds, perceptions of board function, and perceived need of training and development.
Effect of Type and Timeliness of Post-Acute Care on Preventable Hospital Readmissions for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
Research center:
Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Hospitals and clinics,
Medicare
The purpose of this project is to: 1) determine how location of hospitals used for initial admissions by rural patients affects readmission rates; 2) assess how the use of swing beds affects rural patients’ readmissions; and 3) examine the impact of the type and timeliness of post-acute care, including home health care, skilled nursing, and physician visits, on readmissions for rural patients.
Examining the Applicability of the AHRQ's Inpatient Quality Indicators to Rural Hospitals and the Implications of the Relationship Between the Indicators and Financial Measures for Medicare Payment Policies
Research center:
Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health care financing,
Health policy,
Hospitals and clinics,
Quality
This study will investigate how the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's inpatient quality indicators can be applied to rural hospitals and will explore the application of those indicators in answering relevant policy questions.
Health Information Technology and Quality in Rural Hospitals
Research center:
Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health information technology,
Hospitals and clinics,
Quality
The purpose of this project is to: 1) examine the adoption of health information technology (HIT) among rural hospitals and identify hospital and market characteristics that facilitate or impede HIT diffusion; 2) measure the effect of HIT on clinical quality in rural hospitals; and 3) identify technologies that may be promoted to improve quality of care in rural areas.
Importance of Surgery to Rural Hospital Financial Condition and Market Share
Research center:
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topic:
Hospitals and clinics
This study explores the provision of surgical services in rural hospitals and its relationship to financial performance. The percentage of rural hospitals that offer surgical services and the number that have discontinued surgical services over the last decade will be described, and, for those that have discontinued services, the impact on financial condition will be explored.
Nursing Workforce Impact on Rural Hospital Performance Improvement in the Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration Project
Research center:
Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Hospitals and clinics,
Quality,
Workforce
The purpose of this project is to examine the impact of nurse staffing on hospital performance improvement in the CMS/premier Inc. Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration project with specific interest in whether and how this relationship differs in rural hospitals as compared to urban hospitals.
Outpatient Payment Policy Under Medicare: Recent Policy Developments from the Rural Perspective
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health care financing,
Hospitals and clinics
This study was designed to examine outpatient payment options for rural hospitals, the advantages and disadvantages of each, and their potential impact on hospital revenue and rural access to health services.
Potentially Preventable Rural Hospital Readmissions
Research center:
Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Hospitals and clinics,
Quality
This project focuses on the analysis of potentially preventable rural hospital readmissions, a potential quality indicator receiving considerable attention from policymakers and payers. Using 3-M algorithm software and MedPAR inpatient claims data from 9 geographically representative states, this study will explore the relationship between readmission rates and geographic regions, categories of rural hospitals, discharge destination, clinical diagnoses and patient attributes.
Rural Emergency Department Preparedness for Pediatric Care
Research center:
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Children,
Health services,
Hospitals and clinics
While many large cities have dedicated children’s hospitals or facilities with pediatric emergency departments, many general hospitals do not have either the equipment necessary to provide optimal pediatric emergency care nor staff that is specifically trained in the care of pediatric emergencies. This project will use secondary data analysis and semi-structured interviews with emergency room directors in order to address how the availability of pediatric services, expertise and supplies in U.S. emergency departments differs between urban and rural facilities, and to determine which factors impede the availability of pediatric services, expertise, and supplies in rural emergency departments.
Rural-urban Comparison of Hospital Financial Performance by Medicare Payment Classification
Research center:
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Hospitals and clinics,
Medicare
This project will compare the financial performance of rural and urban short term general hospitals by Medicare payment classifications (PPS only, Medicare dependent hospitals, sole community hospitals, rural referral centers, and critical access hospitals).
Related Topics
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