Measuring and Improving the Quality of Care in Rural Minnesota Hospitals

Beginning with a brief overview of national health care quality improvement efforts, this article describes national initiatives to improve the quality of care and patient safety, along with the challenges of measuring quality of care in rural settings. Next, the article analyzes the performance of rural Minnesota hospitals in the Hospital Compare and Leapfrog initiatives and compares the results of national and Minnesota surveys regarding medication safety practices in small rural hospitals. The article concludes by suggesting ways rural Minnesota hospitals can continue to improve quality of care.