National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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AHRQ Research Studies Date
Topics
- Adverse Events (1)
- Blood Clots (1)
- Care Management (1)
- Case Study (1)
- Children/Adolescents (4)
- Clinical Decision Support (CDS) (1)
- Clinician-Patient Communication (1)
- Communication (5)
- Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) (1)
- Critical Care (3)
- Cultural Competence (1)
- Data (2)
- Diagnostic Safety and Quality (1)
- Education: Continuing Medical Education (2)
- Elderly (1)
- Electronic Health Records (EHRs) (4)
- Emergency Department (3)
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) (2)
- Emergency Preparedness (1)
- Evidence-Based Practice (3)
- Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (1)
- Healthcare Delivery (1)
- Health Information Technology (HIT) (5)
- Health Literacy (1)
- Health Services Research (HSR) (2)
- Home Healthcare (2)
- Hospital Discharge (1)
- Hospitalization (1)
- Hospitals (2)
- Injuries and Wounds (2)
- Inpatient Care (2)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (2)
- Labor and Delivery (1)
- Long-Term Care (1)
- Medicare (1)
- Medication (2)
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) (1)
- Newborns/Infants (2)
- (-) Nursing (30)
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- Outcomes (1)
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- Patient Experience (1)
- Patient Safety (9)
- Pneumonia (1)
- Policy (1)
- Practice Patterns (1)
- Pregnancy (1)
- Pressure Ulcers (1)
- Prevention (2)
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- Provider (3)
- Provider: Health Personnel (1)
- Provider: Nurse (4)
- Quality Improvement (2)
- Quality Indicators (QIs) (1)
- Quality Measures (1)
- Quality of Care (4)
- Risk (1)
- Rural Health (1)
- Sepsis (1)
- Shared Decision Making (3)
- Surgery (1)
- TeamSTEPPS (1)
- Tools & Toolkits (1)
- Training (2)
- Transitions of Care (2)
- Urban Health (1)
- Web-Based (1)
- Workflow (3)
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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 25 of 30 Research Studies DisplayedRosen MA, Dietz AS, Lee N
Sensor-based measurement of critical care nursing workload: Unobtrusive measures of nursing activity complement traditional task and patient level indicators of workload to predict perceived exertion.
The purpose of this study was to establish the validity of sensor-based measures of work processes for predicting perceived mental and physical exertion of critical care nurses. Environmental sensors worn by staff in a surgical intensive care unit captured work process data. Nurses rated their mental and physical exertion for each four-hour block, and recorded patient and staffing-level workload factors. Analysis of this data yielded highly predictive models of critical care nursing workload to generate insights into workflow and work design. The researchers conclude that sensor-based measures are a viable complement to traditional task demand measures of workload.
AHRQ-funded; HS023553.
Citation: Rosen MA, Dietz AS, Lee N .
Sensor-based measurement of critical care nursing workload: Unobtrusive measures of nursing activity complement traditional task and patient level indicators of workload to predict perceived exertion.
PLoS One 2018 Oct 12;13(10):e0204819. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204819..
Keywords: Critical Care, Nursing, Provider: Nurse, Patient Safety, Workflow
Law AC, Stevens JP, Hohmann S
Patient outcomes after the introduction of statewide ICU nurse staffing regulations.
The objective of this study was to assess whether Massachusetts legislation directed at ICU nurse staffing was associated with improvements in patient outcomes. The investigators found that state regulation of patient-to-nurse staffing with the aid of patient complexity scores in intensive care was not associated with either increased nurse staffing or changes in patient outcomes.
AHRQ-funded; HS024288.
Citation: Law AC, Stevens JP, Hohmann S .
Patient outcomes after the introduction of statewide ICU nurse staffing regulations.
Crit Care Med 2018 Sep 4;46(10):1563-69. doi: 10.1097/ccm.0000000000003286..
Keywords: Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Policy, Nursing, Outcomes, Patient Safety
Auger KA, Simmons JM, Tubbs-Cooley HL
Postdischarge Nurse Home Visits and Reuse: the Hospital to Home Outcomes (H2O) Trial.
In this study, the investigators evaluated the effects of a pediatric transition intervention, specifically a single nurse home visit, on postdischarge outcomes in a randomized controlled trial. The investigators concluded that children randomly assigned to the intervention had higher rates of 30-day postdischarge unplanned health care reuse. They also noted that parents in the intervention group recalled more clinical warning signs 2 weeks after discharge.
AHRQ-funded; HS024735.
Citation: Auger KA, Simmons JM, Tubbs-Cooley HL .
Postdischarge Nurse Home Visits and Reuse: the Hospital to Home Outcomes (H2O) Trial.
Pediatrics 2018 Jul;142(1). doi: 10.1542/peds.2017-3919..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Home Healthcare, Hospital Discharge, Nursing, Transitions of Care
Al Danaf J, Chang BH, Shaear M
Surfacing and addressing hospitalized patients' needs: proactive nurse rounding as a tool.
This paper reported on rounding interventions employed at high performing hospitals, and provided three case studies on how proactive nurse rounding was successfully implemented to improve patient-centredness. The investigators concluded that proactive rounding interventions are a feasible approach to help surface and address hospitalized patients' needs in a timely manner.
AHRQ-funded; HS021921.
Citation: Al Danaf J, Chang BH, Shaear M .
Surfacing and addressing hospitalized patients' needs: proactive nurse rounding as a tool.
J Nurs Manag 2018 Jul;26(5):540-47. doi: 10.1111/jonm.12580..
Keywords: Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS), Hospitalization, Hospitals, Inpatient Care, Nursing, Patient-Centered Healthcare, Patient Experience, Quality Improvement
Bayramzadeh S, Joseph A, San D
The impact of operating room layout on circulating nurse's work patterns and flow disruptions: a behavioral mapping study.
The purpose of this study was to assess how the adjacencies of functionally different areas within operating rooms (ORs) can influence the circulating nurse's (CN) workflow patterns and disruptions. The investigators video recorded and thematically coded a convenience sample of 25 surgeries for CN's activities, locations, and flow disruptions. The investigators suggest that optimum adjacencies should be considered while designing ORs such that they are more efficient and safer.
AHRQ-funded; HS024380.
Citation: Bayramzadeh S, Joseph A, San D .
The impact of operating room layout on circulating nurse's work patterns and flow disruptions: a behavioral mapping study.
HERD 2018 Jul;11(3):124-38. doi: 10.1177/1937586717751124..
Keywords: Surgery, Workflow, Hospitals, Nursing, Provider: Nurse, Provider, Patient Safety
Sarkhel R, Socha JJ, Mount-Campbell A
HOW nurses identify hospitalized patients on their personal notes: findings from analyzing 'brains' headers with multiple raters.
Many nurses use handwritten notes in order to avoid using electronic health records to access information about patients. At the top of these notes are patient identifiers. By identifying aspects of good and suboptimal headers, the authors began to form a model of how to effectively support identifying patients during assessments and care activities. The primary finding was that nurses use room number as the primary patient identifier in the hospital setting, not the patient's last name.
AHRQ-funded; HS024379.
Citation: Sarkhel R, Socha JJ, Mount-Campbell A .
HOW nurses identify hospitalized patients on their personal notes: findings from analyzing 'brains' headers with multiple raters.
Proc Int Symp Hum Factors Ergon Healthc 2018 Jun;7(1):205-09. doi: 10.1177/2327857918071045..
Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Services Research (HSR), Inpatient Care, Nursing
Mistry B, Stewart De Ramirez S, Kelen G
Accuracy and reliability of emergency department triage using the emergency severity index: an international multicenter assessment.
This study assessed the accuracy and variability of triage score assignment by emergency department (ED) nurses using the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) in 3 countries. It found that the concordance of nurse-assigned ESI score with reference standard was universally poor and variability was high. Although the ESI is the most popular ED triage tool in the United States and is increasingly used worldwide, its findings point to a need for more reliable ED triage tools.
AHRQ-funded; HS023641.
Citation: Mistry B, Stewart De Ramirez S, Kelen G .
Accuracy and reliability of emergency department triage using the emergency severity index: an international multicenter assessment.
Ann Emerg Med 2018 May;71(5):581-87.e3. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2017.09.036.
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Keywords: Shared Decision Making, Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Health Information Technology (HIT), Nursing
Patterson ES
Workarounds to intended use of health information technology: a narrative review of the human factors engineering literature.
This narrative review sought to integrate and synthesize insights from recent studies of workarounds to the intended use of health information technology (HIT) by health care professionals. It concluded that workarounds were employed to avoid changes to workflow, enable interdisciplinary communication, coordinate activities, and have real-time portable access to summarized and synthesized information.
AHRQ-funded; HS024379.
Citation: Patterson ES .
Workarounds to intended use of health information technology: a narrative review of the human factors engineering literature.
Hum Factors 2018 May;60(3):281-92. doi: 10.1177/0018720818762546.
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Keywords: Communication, Health Information Technology (HIT), Nursing, Patient Safety
Sockolow PS, Yang Y, Bass EJ
Data visualization of home care admission nurses' decision-making.
This study investigated nurses’ decision making regarding hospital to home care admissions. They conducted a focus group case study with six admitting home health nurses at a rural agency in Pennsylvania and analyzed the data using thematic analysis.
AHRQ-funded; HS024537.
Citation: Sockolow PS, Yang Y, Bass EJ .
Data visualization of home care admission nurses' decision-making.
AMIA Annu Symp Proc 2018 Apr 16;2017:1597-606..
Keywords: Data, Shared Decision Making, Home Healthcare, Nursing, Transitions of Care
Dudding KM, Gephart SM, Carrington JM
Neonatal nurses experience unintended consequences and risks to patient safety with electronic health records.
The purposes of this study were to describe unintended consequences of use of electronic health records for neonatal nurses and to explore relationships between the phenomena and characteristics of the nurse and the electronic health record. The most frequent unintended consequences of electronic health record use were due to interruptions, followed by a heavier workload due to the electronic health record.
AHRQ-funded; HS022908.
Citation: Dudding KM, Gephart SM, Carrington JM .
Neonatal nurses experience unintended consequences and risks to patient safety with electronic health records.
Comput Inform Nurs 2018 Apr;36(4):167-76. doi: 10.1097/cin.0000000000000406.
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Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Newborns/Infants, Nursing, Patient Safety
Blaz JW, Doig AK, Cloyes KG
The symbolic functions of nurses' cognitive artifacts on a medical oncology unit.
Acute care nurses continue to rely on personally created paper-based tools-their "paper brains"-to support work during a shift, although standardized handoff tools are recommended. This interpretive descriptive study examines the functions these paper brains serve beyond handoff in the medical oncology unit at a cancer specialty hospital.
AHRQ-funded; HS022183.
Citation: Blaz JW, Doig AK, Cloyes KG .
The symbolic functions of nurses' cognitive artifacts on a medical oncology unit.
West J Nurs Res 2018 Apr;40(4):520-36. doi: 10.1177/0193945916683683.
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Keywords: Nursing, Provider: Nurse, Provider, Workflow
McArdle J, Sorensen A, Fowler CI
Strategies to improve management of shoulder dystocia under the AHRQ Safety Program for Perinatal Care.
The purpose of this study using TeamSTEPPS was to assess the implementation of safety strategies to improve management of births complicated by shoulder dystocia in labor and delivery units. Results suggested that successful management of shoulder dystocia requires a rapid, standardized, and coordinated response. The Safety Program for Perinatal Care strategies to increase safety of shoulder dystocia management are scalable, replicable, and adaptable to unit needs and circumstances.
AHRQ-funded; 2902010000241.
Citation: McArdle J, Sorensen A, Fowler CI .
Strategies to improve management of shoulder dystocia under the AHRQ Safety Program for Perinatal Care.
J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 2018 Mar;47(2):191-201. doi: 10.1016/j.jogn.2017.11.014.
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Keywords: Labor and Delivery, Newborns/Infants, Pregnancy, Adverse Events, TeamSTEPPS, Injuries and Wounds, Care Management, Education: Continuing Medical Education, Training, Tools & Toolkits, Patient Safety, Nursing, Communication, Quality of Care
Dowding D, Merrill JA, Onorato N
The impact of home care nurses' numeracy and graph literacy on comprehension of visual display information: implications for dashboard design.
This study explored home care nurses' numeracy and graph literacy and their relationship to comprehension of visualized data. Results suggest that nurses' comprehension of visualized information is influenced by their numeracy, graph literacy, and the display format of the data. Individual differences in numeracy and graph literacy skills need to be taken into account when designing dashboard technology.
AHRQ-funded; HS023855.
Citation: Dowding D, Merrill JA, Onorato N .
The impact of home care nurses' numeracy and graph literacy on comprehension of visual display information: implications for dashboard design.
J Am Med Inform Assoc 2018 Feb;25(2):175-82. doi: 10.1093/jamia/ocx042.
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Keywords: Shared Decision Making, Health Information Technology (HIT), Health Literacy, Health Information Technology (HIT), Nursing
Hinson JS, Martinez DA, Schmitz PSK
Accuracy of emergency department triage using the Emergency Severity Index and independent predictors of under-triage and over-triage in Brazil: a retrospective cohort analysis.
This study sought to measure the frequency of under- and over-triage of patients by nurses using the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) in Brazil and to identify factors independently associated with each. It concluded that, despite rigorous and ongoing training of ESI users, a large number of patients in this cohort were under- or over-triaged. Advanced age, vital sign derangements, and specific chief complaints were particularly under-appreciated.
AHRQ-funded; HS023641.
Citation: Hinson JS, Martinez DA, Schmitz PSK .
Accuracy of emergency department triage using the Emergency Severity Index and independent predictors of under-triage and over-triage in Brazil: a retrospective cohort analysis.
Int J Emerg Med 2018 Jan 15;11(1):3. doi: 10.1186/s12245-017-0161-8.
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Keywords: Emergency Department, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Healthcare Delivery, Nursing
Keenan GM, Lopez KD, Sousa VEC
A shovel-ready solution to fill the nursing data gap in the interdisciplinary clinical picture.
The purpose of this study was to critically evaluate the 2014 American Academy of Nursing (AAN) call-to-action plan for generating interoperable nursing data. The authors of the article present recommendations for revisions to AAN's plan as well as an evidence-based alternative to generating interoperable nursing data in the near term.
AHRQ-funded; HS015054.
Citation: Keenan GM, Lopez KD, Sousa VEC .
A shovel-ready solution to fill the nursing data gap in the interdisciplinary clinical picture.
Int J Nurs Knowl 2018 Jan;29(1):49-58. doi: 10.1111/2047-3095.12168..
Keywords: Data, Evidence-Based Practice, Nursing
Ricciardi R
AHRQ Author: Ricciardi R
The next frontier for nurses: improving quality and safety in primary care.
Nurses’ role in advancing quality and protecting the safety of patients in primary care settings is becoming more important. As primary care moves to team-based practice models to meet the needs of Accountable Care Organizations and the Quality Payment Program, RNs are well positioned to take on leading roles and new responsibilities. The author discusses the challenges and opportunities faced by the nursing profession and AHRQ’s role in assisting this process.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Ricciardi R .
The next frontier for nurses: improving quality and safety in primary care.
J Nurs Care Qual 2018 Jan/Mar;33(1):1-4. doi: 10.1097/ncq.0000000000000304.
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Keywords: Quality of Care, Nursing, Patient Safety, Primary Care
Niznik J, Zhao X, Jiang T
Anticholinergic prescribing in Medicare Part D beneficiaries residing in nursing homes: results from a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of Medicare data.
The primary objective of this study was to identify factors associated with low- and high-level anticholinergic burden in nursing home residents. Overall, 29.6 percent of subjects had a high anticholinergic burden and 35.2 percent had a low burden. High burden was most often (72 percent) due to one highly anticholinergic medication rather than a cumulative effect.
AHRQ-funded; HS023779.
Citation: Niznik J, Zhao X, Jiang T .
Anticholinergic prescribing in Medicare Part D beneficiaries residing in nursing homes: results from a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of Medicare data.
Drugs Aging 2017 Dec;34(12):925-39. doi: 10.1007/s40266-017-0502-6.
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Keywords: Elderly, Medicare, Medication, Nursing
Larson EL, Cohen B, Liu J
Assessing intensity of nursing care needs using electronically available data.
The aim of this project was to develop and test a Nursing Intensity of Care Index using electronically available data from 152,072 patient discharges from three hospitals. In preliminary testing, data for the Nursing Intensity of Care Index, which accurately reflect nursing care intensity, can be obtained electronically in real time. The next steps will be a discrete-event simulation model and large-scale field trials.
AHRQ-funded; HS024915.
Citation: Larson EL, Cohen B, Liu J .
Assessing intensity of nursing care needs using electronically available data.
Comput Inform Nurs 2017 Dec;35(12):617-23. doi: 10.1097/cin.0000000000000375.
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Keywords: Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Nursing, Workforce
Benda N, Hettinger A, Bisantz A
Communication in the electronic age: an analysis of face-to-fact physician-nurse communication in the emergency department.
This study described the patterns and content of nurse to physician verbal conversations in three emergency departments (EDs) with electronic health records. It found that physician participants experienced significantly more communication events than nurse participants, while nurses initiated significantly more communication events than physicians. Most of the communication events occurred at the physician workstation followed by patient treatment areas.
AHRQ-funded; HS022542.
Citation: Benda N, Hettinger A, Bisantz A .
Communication in the electronic age: an analysis of face-to-fact physician-nurse communication in the emergency department.
Journal of Healthcare Informatics Research 2017 Dec;1(2):218-30.
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Keywords: Communication, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Provider: Health Personnel, Emergency Department, Nursing
Hessels AJ, Darby SW, Simpser E
National testing of the nursing-kids intensity of care survey for pediatric long-term care.
The purpose of this study is to test the Nursing-Kids Intensity of Care, a measure of the intensity of nursing care needs, defined as the quantity and type of direct and indirect care activities performed by caregivers in a national sample. The authors concluded that additional testing to further establish psychometric sufficiency and expanded use to quantify the intensity of nursing care needs of children with complex medical conditions in pediatric long-term care settings is recommended.
AHRQ-funded; HS021470.
AHRQ-funded; HS021470.
AHRQ-funded; HS021470.
Citation: Hessels AJ, Darby SW, Simpser E .
National testing of the nursing-kids intensity of care survey for pediatric long-term care.
J Pediatr Nurs 2017 Nov/Dec;37:86-90. doi: 10.1016/j.pedn.2017.08.026..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Health Services Research (HSR), Long-Term Care, Nursing, Children/Adolescents
Squires A
Evidence-based approaches to breaking down language barriers.
This article provides background information about language barriers between nurses and patients and some strategies for addressing these gaps. After detailing how these barriers affect patient outcomes, practice-based strategies are offered to improve outcomes and reduce readmissions. Although the article doesn’t address barriers to communicating with patients with hearing loss, many of the same principles apply to these patients.
AHRQ-funded; HS023593.
Citation: Squires A .
Evidence-based approaches to breaking down language barriers.
Nursing 2017 Sep;47(9):34-40. doi: 10.1097/01.NURSE.0000522002.60278.ca.
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Keywords: Communication, Cultural Competence, Evidence-Based Practice, Nursing, Clinician-Patient Communication
Lau BD, Shaffer DL, Hobson DB
Effectiveness of two distinct web-based education tools for bedside nurses on medication administration practice for venous thromboembolism prevention: a randomized clinical trial.
Effectiveness of two distinct web-based education tools for bedside nurses on medication administration practice for venous thromboembolism prevention: a randomized clinical trial.
AHRQ-funded; HS024547.
Citation: Lau BD, Shaffer DL, Hobson DB .
Effectiveness of two distinct web-based education tools for bedside nurses on medication administration practice for venous thromboembolism prevention: a randomized clinical trial.
PLoS One 2017 Aug 16;12(8):e0181664. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181664.
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Keywords: Blood Clots, Education: Continuing Medical Education, Medication, Nursing, Prevention, Provider: Nurse, Web-Based, Practice Patterns
Farra SL, Miller ET, Gneuhs M
Disaster management: communication up, across, and down.
This case study uses the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative’s (NPLI) meta-leadership model as the guiding framework for developing and implementing an evacuation exercise focused on the safe evacuation of neonates. Key components of this framework include strategies for communicating up, across, and down among various stakeholders.
AHRQ-funded; HS023149.
Citation: Farra SL, Miller ET, Gneuhs M .
Disaster management: communication up, across, and down.
Nurs Manage 2017 Jul;48(7):51-54. doi: 10.1097/01.NUMA.0000520720.78549.e4..
Keywords: Emergency Preparedness, Communication, Nursing, Case Study
Boltey E, Yakusheva O, Costa DK
5 nursing strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia.
This article reviews the top five evidence-based nursing practices for reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) risk in critically ill adults.
AHRQ-funded; HS024552.
Citation: Boltey E, Yakusheva O, Costa DK .
5 nursing strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia.
Am Nurse Today 2017 Jun;12(6):42-43..
Keywords: Critical Care, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Nursing, Prevention, Pneumonia
Baernholdt M, Hinton ID, Guofen Y
A national comparison of rural/urban pressure ulcer and fall rates.
Despite recent decline in hospital acquired conditions (HACs), rates for pressure ulcers (PURs) and falls (FRs) remain at levels that require improvement. Contextual factors and care processes may impact HACs. Using the National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI®) this study examined differences in care processes and community, hospital, and nursing unit characteristics that influence PURs and FRs in 4238 rural and urban nursing units.
AHRQ-funded; HS023147.
Citation: Baernholdt M, Hinton ID, Guofen Y .
A national comparison of rural/urban pressure ulcer and fall rates.
Online J Issues Nurs 2017 May;22(2):1-12. doi: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol22No02PPT60..
Keywords: Injuries and Wounds, Nursing, Patient Safety, Pressure Ulcers, Quality of Care, Quality Improvement, Quality Indicators (QIs), Quality Measures, Rural Health, Urban Health