Mergers Associated With Improved Quality, Lower Mortality for Rural Hospitals

Rural hospitals are increasingly merging with other hospitals, and this trend is associated with better mortality outcomes for certain conditions, according to a new study in JAMA Network Open.

Rural hospitals have a number of challenges that put them at greater risk of closure than urban hospitals, which in turn reduces rural patients’ access to care and puts them at a greater risk of mortality.

“The number of mergers among rural hospitals has increased significantly since the mid-2000s, in parallel with the accelerating number of closures,” the authors wrote. “Although mergers may enhance rural hospital survival, they may also have effects on quality of care.”