This project examines 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.

Publications

• Nursing Homes in Rural And Urban Areas, 2001
  Southwest Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 06/2004
  This chartbook provides descriptive data on the entire population of longer-stay nursing home residents in the country in 2001 and categorizes them according to the rurality of the nursing homes in which they receive care in an effort to address questions related to residents' characteristics and quality of care.are.