Table 4.
The study variables and their operational definitions
| Variable | Codes | Operational Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Contextual Factors or County Characteristic Variables | ||
| % population in poverty | % of county population that is at 200 % of poverty level | |
| % African American population | % of county population that is African-American | |
| % Hispanic population | % of county population that is Hispanic | |
| %Native American | % of county population that is Native American | |
| %White | % of county population that is White | |
| Rurality classification | 1: urban 2: large rural 3: small rural 4: isolated. |
Four categories based on RUCA code: urban, large rural, Small rural, isolated. |
| Urban: 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 2.1, 3.0, 4.1, 5.1, 7.1, 8.1, 10.1; Large rural: 4.0, 4.2, 5.0, 5.2, 6.0, 6.1; Small rural: 7.0, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4, 8.0, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4, 9.0, 9.1, 9.2; Isolated: 10.0, 10.2, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.6. RHC located in urbanized area is a reference variable when rurality levels are treated as dummy variables | ||
| Region 4 states | 1. Alabama 2: Florida 3: Georgia 4: Kentucky 5: Mississippi 6: North Carolina 7: South Carolina 8: Tennessee |
U.S state. Seven dummy variables for the states are used with Mississippi as a reference variable. |
| ACA period effect | 0: before 2010 (2007 through 2009) 1: after 2009 (2010 through 2012) |
The potential period effect of Affordable Care Act on RHC performance |
| Organizational factors or Clinic Characteristic Variables | ||
| Years of RHC operation | Number of years Medicare certified for the participation in RHC program | |
| Staff size | Number of physician + physician assistant + nurse practitioner FTEs | |
| Provider-based practice | 1 = Provider-based RHC 0 = Independent RHC |
RHC type |
| Aggregate RHC Characteristics or Ecological Variables | ||
| Size of Medicare beneficiaries served | Total Medicare patients served by the RHC | |
| % Female patients served | Number of patients aged 65 & older who are female (expressed as a percentage of total patients) | |
| Average patient age of a clinic | Mean age of RHC patients (years) | |
| % African-American patients served | Number of patients aged 65 & older who are African-American (expressed as a percentage of total patients) | |
| % Patients with a dually eligible status | % of Medicare program beneficiaries with at least 3 dually eligible months within one year with both Medicare and Medicaid | |
| Utilization of RHCs by Native Americans | Average number of RHC visits by Native Americans | |
| % Patients with multiple chronic conditions | Average percentage of patients with multiple chronic conditions | |