The degree to which a community uses a hospital other than its local rural hospital – the bypass rate – is negatively correlated with the financial sustainability of the hospital. In an era of increasing financial pressure, an understanding of inpatient care-seeking behavior by rural residents can provide insight into drivers of bypass rates.

Publications

• Changes in Care-Seeking After Rural Hospitals Merge
  Policy Brief
  North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Date: 07/2020
  Rural hospital mergers have increased significantly since 2010. Enhanced financial performance and improved quality are often cited as benefits, but hospital mergers can also lead to changes in the services provided by acquired hospitals. This brief estimates the use of inpatient services delivered by acquired rural hospitals following a merger.
• Patterns of Hospital Bypass and Inpatient Care-Seeking by Rural Residents
  Policy Brief
  North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
  Date: 04/2020
  Hospital bypass, the tendency of local rural residents to not seek care at their closest hospital, is thought to be a contributing factor for rural hospital closure. The purpose of this brief is to update the knowledge base of determinants of bypass behavior by analyzing state inpatient data from 2014-2016.