Dive Brief:
- A new study that was published in Medical Care found that rural Medicare patients are less likely to receive follow-up care after hospital discharge than those who live in urban areas.
- Follow-up care has been shown to help reduce preventable readmissions.
- The study analyzed data from around 12,000 Medicare patients who were admitted to hospitals over a 10-year period (2000-2010). The data came from theMedicare Current Beneficiary Survey.
Dive Insight:
The researchers found that people in rural areas were 19% less likely than those in urban areas to receive follow-up care after hospital discharge. They also found that risk for emergency room visits was 44% higher in small rural areas and 55% higher in larger rural areas than in urban areas.
According to the study authors, the findings may have important implications for rural healthcare providers now that changes are being made to healthcare delivery and payment models. In particular, they point to the Medicare Hospital Readmissions Program, which penalizes hospitals with higher-than-expected 30-day readmission rates. The authors believe their findings show that rural hospitals may be being disproportionately penalized under the program.
The researchers also believe measures need to be taken to improve access to care for rural patients, including increased access to telehealth, care management and transitional care and policies to enhance primary care services.