Research Alert: December 23, 2015

FORHP Research Center Journal Publications between October 2014 and September 2015

Geographic and Specialty Distribution of US Physicians Trained to Treat Opioid Use Disorder
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Seeks to describe the geographic distribution and specialties of physicians obtaining waivers from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to prescribe buprenorphine-naloxone to treat opioid use disorder and to identify potential shortages of physicians.

The Rural Obstetric Workforce in US Hospitals: Challenges and Opportunities
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Describes the types and combinations of clinicians who are delivering babies in rural hospitals, their employment status, the relationship between hospital birth volume and staffing models, and the staffing challenges faced by rural hospitals.

Minimum Distance Requirements Could Harm High-Performing CAHs and Rural Communities
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center and North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Since the inception of the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Program in 1997, over 1,300 rural hospitals have converted to critical access hospitals, which entitles them to Medicare cost based reimbursement instead of reimbursement based on the hospital prospective payment system (PPS). Several changes to eligibility for critical access status have recently been proposed. Most of the changes focus on mandating that hospitals be located a certain minimum distance from the nearest hospital. The article concludes that establishing a minimum distance requirement would generate modest cost savings for Medicare but would likely be disruptive to the communities that depend on these hospitals for their health care.

Poorer Quality Outcomes of Medicare-Certified Home Health Care in Areas with High Levels of Native American/Alaska Native Residents
South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
This study examined whether quality indicators reported to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) by Medicare-certified home health care agencies are equal in areas with high Native American or Alaska Native (NA/AN) concentration. Identifying gaps in quality among multiple measures of home health care for high-risk areas allows practitioners and home health care service providers to target quality improvement interventions.

Thirty-Day Readmission Rates Among Dual-Eligible Beneficiaries
South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Conducts a cross-sectional analysis of Medicare claims, restricted to 297,084 beneficiaries with a hospitalization from February 1, 2009, through November 30, 2009.

Rural Medicare Beneficiaries Have Fewer Follow-up Visits and Greater Emergency Department Use Post-discharge
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Conducts a retrospective analysis of elderly Medicare beneficiaries discharged home using the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, Cost and Use files, 2000-2010.

The Rising Rate of Rural Hospital Closures
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
This study is a preliminary look at recent closures and a formative step in research to understand the causes and the impact on rural communities.

The Effect of Surgery on the Profitability of Rural Hospitals
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Determines the effect of surgery on the profitability of rural hospitals.

Financially Fragile Hospitals: Mergers and Closures
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Rural hospitals serve as major sources of health care and employment for their communities, but recently they have been under increased financial stress.

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