title: Rural relevant quality measures for critical access hospitals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify current and future relevant quality measures for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
  
  
  METHODS
  Three criteria (patient volume, internal usefulness for quality improvement, and external usefulness for public reporting and payment reform) were used to analyze quality measures for their relevance for CAHs. A 6-member panel with expertise in rural hospital quality measurement and improvement provided input regarding the final measure selection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The relevant quality measures for CAHs include measures that are ready for reporting now and measures that need specifications to be finalized and/or a data reporting mechanism to be established. They include inpatient measures for specific medical conditions, global measures that address appropriate care across multiple medical conditions, and Emergency Department measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All CAHs should publicly report on relevant quality measures. Acceptance of a single consolidated set of quality measures with common specifications for CAHs by all entities involved in regulation, accreditation, and payment; a phased process to implement the relevant measures; and the provision of technical assistance would help CAHs meet the challenge of reporting.
authors.affiliation: Rural Health Research Center, Division of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA. mcasey@umn.edu
authors.forename: Michelle M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.forename: Ira
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Moscovice
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klingner
authors.forename: Shailendra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prasad
mesh_terms: D006780:Hospitals, Rural / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D006278:Medicare / Q000592:standards*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States