Evaluating the Influence of Hospital Features, Market Conditions, and Financial Impact on Clinical Quality in a Sample of U.S. Rural Hospitals

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to take this chance for thanking my research facilitator, friends & family for support they provided & their belief in me as well as guidance they provided without which I would have never been able to do this research.

DECLARATION

I, (Your name), would like to declare that all contents included in this thesis/dissertation stand for my individual work without any aid, & this thesis/dissertation has not been submitted for any examination at academic as well as professional level previously. It is also representing my very own views & not essentially which are associated with university.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT2

DECLARATION3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY5

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION10

1.1Background of the study10

1.2Problem Statement11

1.3Purpose of the Study12

1.4Aims and Objectives of the Study12

1.5Research Questions13

1.6Significance of the Study13

1.7Research Design14

1.8Timeline16

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW17

CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY22

3.1Research Design22

3.2Secondary Data22

3.3Definition of Qualitative Research23

3.4Qualitative Research23

3.5Assumptions of Qualitative Research24

3.6Research Philosophy24

3.7Literature Search25

3.8Validity25

3.9Justification for using Qualitative and Secondary Research Methodology26

3.10Data analysis26

3.11Ethical Consideration27

CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION28

4.1Increase in poverty, pollution and the need for medical attention28

4.2Current stance of rural hospitals in the USA28

4.3Comparison to hospital features in urban areas29

4.4Hospital commitment to quality assurance30

4.5Analysis of Published Surveys30

4.6Current condition of hospital finance in the rural areas33

4.7Market Conditions & Finance in the rural areas of USA35

4.8Medical Assistance Facilities36

4.9Financial Conditions of USA's rural population37

4.10Medicare Reimbursement Models40

4.11Hospital Features42

4.12Treating foreign patients in US hospitals46

4.13Key excerpts from the interviews and areas of critical improvement47

CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION50

5.1Limitations and Assumptions of the Study50

5.2The range of quality assurance in rural hospitals50

REFERENCES52

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Health care institutes today, are facing the increased need for effective quality management strategies that would provide patients with ideal medical care while maintaining financial viability. Large and advanced healthcare institutions usually have the required resources and infrastructure to adapt quality management in their systems. On the other hand, small and rural hospitals with fewer financial and community resources are incapable of providing and managing the investment required to develop and implement large-scale quality strategies. With the increase in global population, the need for acute medical attention and treatment is also increasing rapidly. Today, the world is divided into two main parts. One is the urbanized world and the other is a rural part of the globe. The urban world is modern with all the high tech facilities available for use and these are successfully applied to patient care and the treatment of medical conditions of different types and sorts. When it comes to the rural world, there are several constraints including the financial conditions of that community, their level of education, market conditions as well as the features of the healthcare institute. The rural world has always been less privileged compared to the urbanized world that most of us live in. This paper studies the clinical quality of hospitals and healthcare setups in such rural areas of USA and considers areas of improvement as well as key elements causing problems and hindrance to quality care.

The primary aim of this study will be to evaluate the influence ...