Quality
Completed Projects
Analysis of 2004-2005 State Flex Grant Plans
Research centers:
Maine Rural Health Research Center,
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program,
Emergency medical services (EMS),
Networking and collaboration,
Quality
This project will analyze state Flex grant applications and related budget and work plan revisions focusing on state activities in the core Flex program areas of networks, quality improvement, and EMS.
Analysis of Critical Access Hospital Inpatient Hospitalizations and Transfers from CAHs to Other Acute and Post-Acute Care Settings Using State Inpatient Databases
Research center:
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program,
Quality,
Technology
The purpose of this project is to analyze Critical Access Hospital (CAH) inpatient hospitalizations and transfers from CAHs in order to help inform the development of quality indicators for CAHs, especially quality indicators focused on the transfer process.
Assessment of Small Rural Hospital Activities to Report Medication Errors
Research center:
Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Hospitals and clinics,
Pharmacy and prescription drugs,
Quality
This research will determine how small rural hospitals have responded to the environmental pressure to improve patient safety and quality by implementing safe medication practices and by reporting and monitoring medication errors.
Beyond Simple Ranking: Identifying and Empirically Testing Alternative Approaches for Recognizing Quality in Rural Hospitals
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 explore several alternative methods for assessing the relative quality of hospitals using data from the Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration Project and Hospital Compare.
Critical Access Hospital Participation in the Hospital Quality Alliance and Initial Quality Measure Results
Research center:
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program,
Quality
This project examined the participation of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in public reporting of quality measures in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Hospital Compare database. It presented the initial Hospital Compare results for CAHs and comparisons with other groups of hospitals on quality measures for three conditions: acute myocardial infarction (heart attack), heart failure and pneumonia.
Determinants of Quality of Care in Rural Communities: How Does The Health Care Infrastructure Affect Quality of Care in Rural America?
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health services,
Quality,
Workforce
Developing a Quality Performance Measurement System for Critical Access Hospitals
Research center:
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program,
Quality
This project continues to support activities related to quality performance measurement relevant for Critical Access Hospitals. By the end of 2005, the technical expert panel had reviewed the findings of the initial field test of the small rural hospital quality measure set and made recommendations for revisions.
Developing Relevant Quality Indicators for Rural Hospitals
Research center:
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Hospitals and clinics,
Quality
Establishing Evidenced-based Safety Standards for Rural Hospitals - Phase 1
Research center:
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Funders:
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ),
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Hospitals and clinics,
Quality
This project will develop and test evidence-based safety improvement interventions in rural hospitals by identifying key patient safety areas and interventions of particular relevance to rural hospitals that have the potential to reduce medical errors and improve patient safety.
Implementing Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement Systems in Rural Health Clinics: Clinic and State Agency Responses
Research center:
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Legislation and regulation,
Quality,
Rural Health Clinics (RHCs)
Insurance Status and Quality of Care for Children in Rural Areas: 1993-2000
Research center:
South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Children,
Health insurance and the uninsured,
Minority health,
Poverty,
Quality
Measuring Quality in Rural Health Services: Are Hospital and Health Plan Accreditation Standards Appropriate for Rural Areas?
Research center:
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topic:
Quality
Medicare Beneficiary Outcomes in Rural and Urban Home Health Agencies
Research center:
Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Home health,
Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS),
Quality
This study will compare the performance of rural and urban home care agencies, and identify agency characteristics that contribute to better patient care outcomes.
National Rural Hospital Flexibility Program Tracking Project: Analysis of CAH Quality Improvement (QI) Strategies
Research center:
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program,
Quality
Nursing Home Quality: A Comparison between Rural and Non-Rural Nursing Homes
Research center:
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Long term care,
Quality,
Rural statistics and demographics
The research examines the effect of location (rural/non-rural) on the characteristics of nursing homes and residents, and on various indicators of quality of care.
Pay-for-Performance and Quality Improvement in Rural Hospitals
Research center:
Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Health care financing,
Hospitals and clinics,
Quality
This project will estimate the impact on rural hospitals in the U.S. of a pay-for-performance (PFP) program similar to the CMS-sponsored Premier, Inc. Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration; synthesize the major factors that will influence the inclusion of rural hospitals in PFP programs; and make recommendations for the design of PFP programs that will appropriately reward rural hospitals for improving quality.
Preventing Errors in Rural Hospitals
Research center:
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Hospitals and clinics,
Quality
Quality and Financial Status of Critical Access Hospitals: A Preliminary Analysis
Research centers:
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center ,
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program,
Health care financing,
Quality
The purpose of this project is to continue to investigate the relationship between CAH financial performance and quality of care. UMN and UNC will jointly develop hypotheses related to the finance-quality link and statistical models suitable for testing hypotheses.
Quality Differences between Rural and Non-Rural Nursing Homes
Research center:
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Long term care,
Quality
Quality of Care for Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients in U.S. Rural Hospitals
Research center:
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Hospitals and clinics,
Quality
Quality of Women's Care in Rural Health Clinics: A National Analysis
Research center:
ORHP-funded Individual Grantees
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Quality,
Rural Health Clinics (RHCs),
Women
This study will analyze the rates at which women patients receive five recommended preventive screening interventions in a national, geographically stratified random sample of Rural Health Clinics. Results of the analysis will be used to derive implications for rural health policy.
Refining and Field Testing a Relevant Set of Quality Measures for Rural Hospitals
Research center:
Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
Topics:
Hospitals and clinics,
Quality
This project will field test the feasibility of collecting and using a relevant set of quality measures from rural hospitals with the provision of technical assistance and support from Quality Improvement Organizations.
Rural Emergency Department Staffing: Implications for the Quality of Emergency Care Provided in Rural Areas
Research center:
Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Emergency medical services (EMS),
Hospitals and clinics,
Quality,
Workforce
This project will describe emergency department (ED) staffing patterns in rural hospitals; determine how the certification, training, and experience of ED physicians and other providers in different ED staffing models vary; and assess the implications of rural ED staffing for the quality of emergency care in rural areas, continuity of care, and rural EDs’ role as safety net providers.
Rural Quality Improvement Focus on Diabetes
Research center:
Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Chronic diseases and conditions,
Quality
This project focused specifically on diabetes care management and quality improvement programming in rural areas as a way to understand the adaptability and policy implications of using chronic care coordination and other models in a rural environment.
State Flex Program Quality Improvement Activities
Research center:
Maine Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Critical Access Hospitals and Rural Hospital Flexibility Program,
Quality
Successful Implementation of Medication Safety Initiatives in Rural Hospitals: The Role of Pharmacists and Technology
Research center:
Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Hospitals and clinics,
Pharmacy and prescription drugs,
Quality,
Technology
This project will assess the capacity of rural hospitals to implement medication safety practices that reduce the likelihood of serious adverse drug events, and will identify factors that facilitate successful implementation of medication safety practices in rural hospitals.
Urban and Rural Differences in Access to Care and Treatment for Medicare Beneficiaries with Cancer
Research center:
ORHP-funded Individual Grantees
Funder:
Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics:
Chronic diseases and conditions,
Health services,
Medicare,
Quality
Little is known about the differences in the diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of care for cancer patients across urban and rural regions of the country. This study will extend our understanding of the challenge of providing high-quality cancer care to Medicare beneficiaries and how provider availability influences access to needed care in urban and rural areas.
