Nursing Home Quality: A Comparison Between Rural and Non-Rural Nursing Homes

This project examined the effect of location (rural/non-rural) on the characteristics of nursing homes and residents, and on various indicators of quality of care, using two national data sets. The Online Survey and Certification Reporting System (OSCAR) contains data on all nursing homes that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and the Minimum Data Set includes data on the health, physical and cognitive functioning, and aspects of process quality for all residents in these facilities. The project team produced a chartbook (February 2003) comparing nursing homes in rural and urban areas at the national level as well as for each of the ten federal regions and 50 states. A second chartbook comparing resident characteristics in urban and rural areas at the national, regional, and state level is planned for completion in August 2004.

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