Use of Home Health Services Among High Risk Rural Medicare Patients: Patient, Service, and Community Factors Associated with Hospital Readmission

This study will examine the 60-day post-acute care outcomes of rural Medicare patients who were discharged from hospitals and admitted to home healthcare services. Key predictors include home health services provided, type of Medicare home health reimbursement, and available community healthcare resources.

Publications

• Community Factors and Outcomes of Home Health Care for High-Risk Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
  Policy Brief
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 10/2016
  Outcomes of care vary by region of the country for rural Medicare beneficiaries receiving home health services for high-risk conditions such as heart failure. Those in the East South Central and West South Central Census Divisions had lower rates of community discharge and higher rates of hospital readmission and emergency department use.