Home health

Research Products & Journal Articles

Browse the full list of research publications on this topic completed by the Rural Health Research Centers.

Products – Freely accessible products include policy briefs, fact sheets, full reports, chartbooks, and interactive data websites.

Journal Articles – Articles in peer-reviewed journals may require a subscription or affiliation with a subscribing library. For these publications, Gateway lists the article citation, a brief summary, a link to additional information and access to the full-text of the article, if available.

2024

2023

2022

  • Who Will Care for Rural Older Adults? Measuring the Direct Care Workforce in Rural Areas (policy brief)
    Policy Brief
    University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 11/2022
    The policy brief examines disparities in the supply of home health aides and nursing assistants in rural areas compared to urban areas. Researchers estimate the ratio of home health aides and nursing assistants relative to the population of adults (age 65+) across rural and urban areas in the U.S.
  • Availability of Home Health Services in Minoritized Racial/Ethnic Group Areas
    Policy Brief
    Rural and Minority Health Research Center
    Date: 08/2022
    This brief is one of a series of findings briefs documenting disparities in geographic access to health services for ZIP code tabulation areas containing a high proportion of minoritized racial/ethnic residents. This report looks at the availability of home health services in minoritized racial/ethnic areas.
  • Availability of Medicare-Certified Hospice Services in Minoritized Racial/Ethnic Group Areas
    Policy Brief
    Rural and Minority Health Research Center
    Date: 08/2022
    This is one of a series of briefs documenting disparities in geographic access to health services for ZIP code tabulation areas containing a high proportion of minoritized racial/ethnic residents. This brief explores access to hospice services.
  • Availability of Pharmacies in Minoritized Racial/Ethnic Areas
    Policy Brief
    Rural and Minority Health Research Center
    Date: 08/2022
    This brief is one of a series of findings briefs documenting disparities in geographic access to health services for ZIP code tabulation areas containing a high proportion of minoritized racial/ethnic residents. This report looks at access to pharmacies.
  • Spatial Access to Hospital-based Obstetric Units in Minoritized Racial/Ethnic Areas
    Policy Brief
    Rural and Minority Health Research Center
    Date: 08/2022
    This brief is one of a series of findings briefs documenting disparities in geographic access to health services for ZIP code tabulation areas containing a high proportion of minoritized racial/ethnic residents. This report looks at spatial access to hospital-based obstetric units in minoritized racial/ethnic areas.
  • Approaches to Serving Rural Older Adults in State Plans on Aging: A Policy Content Evaluation
    Journal Article
    University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 05/2022
    In this article, we share a policy content evaluation of State Plans on Aging from all 50 U.S. states, focusing on how the states will serve older adults and including common and innovative approaches to doing so.
  • The Problem of the Color Line: Place, Race, and Access to Health Care in America
    Journal Article
    Rural and Minority Health Research Center
    Date: 02/2022
    Using ZIP Code Tabulation Area boundaries and associated rural-urban commuting area codes, urban and rural places with the largest share of minoritized racial and ethnic groups were identified. A StoryMap was then created to illustrate disparities experienced based on where Indigenous populations and people of color reside spatially.
  • Quality of Home Health Agencies Serving Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
    Policy Brief
    WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 02/2022
    This policy brief describes the quality of home health agencies (HHAs) by rural-serving status. While quality of patient care star ratings were not associated with rural-serving status, rural HHAs and urban HHAs that serve rural patients had higher patient experience star ratings than urban HHAs that do not serve rural patients.

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

  • 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.
  • Access to Rural Home Health Services: Views From the Field
    Report
    WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
    Date: 02/2016
    Access to home health care can be challenging for rural Medicare clients. Key informants for this study detailed obstacles, including financial, regulatory, workforce, and geographic issues. Rural communities will likely benefit from payment reforms that reward quality services while providing incentives to use best practices in home health care.
  • Disparities in Home Health Service Providers Among Medicare Beneficiaries with Stroke
    Journal Article
    Rural and Minority Health Research Center
    Date: 01/2016
    Examines the intensity of home health services, by the number of visits and service delivery by rehabilitation specialists, among Medicare beneficiates with stroke. There were no significant rural-urban differences in the number of home health visits, but rural residents were less likely to receive services from rehabilitation specialists.

2015

2014

2013

2006

2005

2004

  • Medicare Home Health Care in Rural America
    Policy Brief
    NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
    Date: 01/2004
    This study looked at the characteristics of rural Medicare beneficiaries served by urban home health agencies as compared with those served by rural agencies.

2003

2001

2000

  • Rural Home Health Agencies: The Impact of the Balanced Budget Act
    Policy Brief
    NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
    Date: 04/2000
    This policy analysis brief examines how the characteristics of rural and urban Medicare-certified home health agencies differ, estimates the impact of interim payment system on these agencies, and discusses policy implications for a Medicare home health prospective payment system.
  • Rural and Urban Patterns of Home Health Use: Implications for Access Under the Interim Payment System
    Policy Brief
    NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
    Date: 03/2000
    This policy analysis brief compares patterns of home health utilization among rural and urban Medicare beneficiaries in order to estimate the potential impact of an interim payment system on access to home care in rural areas of the country.