Recorded presentation

Mary Wakefield, PhD, Center for Rural Health, University of North Dakota School of Medicine, P.O. Box 9037, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9037, (710)777-3848, mwake@medicine.nodak.edu and Forrest Calico, MD, Office of Rural Health Policy, Health Resources and Services Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, 9A-55, Rockville, MD 20857.

This session will report on the findings and recommendations of the IOM Committee on the Future of Rural Health Care focusing on quality of care. The six aims of healthcare quality are that it be: Safe, Effective, Patient-centered, Timely, Efficient, and Equitable. The following questions, among others, directed the committee’s discussions: 1) How do we provide quality health care to rural populations; taking into consideration both the external environment and internal characteristics? 2) What questions need to be considered to successfully build quality health care systems with a population-based focus in rural communities? 3) How do we overcome the challenges in rural and frontier areas in order to move the quality agenda forward?

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the session participants will be able to
• Describe the process the IOM Committee went through to address this issue.j
• Understand and identify the constraints under which rural health care providers work and its relevance to quality
• Discuss 2-3 strategies for addressing quality concerns in an underresourced environment

Keywords: Quality, Access to Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Institute of Medicine Report
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation