Rural-Urban Differences in the Effect of Follow-Up Care on Postdischarge Outcomes.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To assess rural-urban differences in quality of postdischarge care among Medicare beneficiaries, controlling for selection bias of postdischarge services.

Data sources

The Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS), Cost and Use Files from 2000 to 2010, the Area Resource File, Provider of Services File, and the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care.

Study design

Retrospective analysis of 30- and 60-day hospital readmission, emergency department (ED) use, and mortality using two-stage residual inclusion; receipt of 14-day follow-up care was the main independent variable.

Data extraction method

We defined index admission from the MCBS as any admission without a previous admission within 60 days.

Principal findings

Noninstrumental variables estimation wa

SUBMITTER: Toth M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5517676 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature