Beyond City Limits: Exploring Home Health Agency Performance Across Rural-Urban Continuum Codes in the United States

This study investigates Home Health Agency (HHA) performance variations across different geographic settings—metropolitan, micropolitan, small-town, and rural areas. The objective is to understand the influence of geographic location on the effectiveness of home healthcare services. Using the Kruskal-Wallis test, this study assessed whether there are significant differences in HHA performances among these areas. Additionally, the Interquartile Range (IQR) was utilized to understand the performance consistency within each geographic setting. Findings indicate statistically significant differences in HHA performances across the four geographic areas. The results revealed that metropolitan areas exhibited the highest performance consistency, followed by micropolitan and rural areas, while small-town areas displayed the least consistent performance. These results highlight the underlying relationship between geographic location and HHA performance, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions and policies to enhance home healthcare services, especially in small-town settings.