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Thursday, April 24, 2014

Study: Rural hospitals are cheaper, faster than urban ones, and patients are just as satisfied

Patients at rural and urban hospitals are equally satisfied with their care, but rural hospitals charge an average of 63 percent less than urban ones and rural patients spend an average of 56 minutes less in the emergency room, according to the 2014 Rural Relevance Under Healthcare Reform Study by iVantage Health Analytics.

The study found that "quality, patient safety, outcomes and satisfaction are equal, while price and efficiency in the emergency department are better" and "spending per beneficiary for rural hospitals could save $6.8 billion if adopted by all."

John Morrow, executive vice president of iVantage Health Analytics, said in a release: "The study findings challenge the assumption that rural hospitals are more costly, inefficient, and have lower levels of quality and patient satisfaction." (Read more)

The study also includes iVantage's list of the top 100 critical access hospitals. For a complete list click here.

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