Cesarean Section Rates in Rural Hospitals (March 2005) [Online Only]

Online Only

This brief provides details of a study that compared cesarean section (c-section) rates in rural hospitals to the rates in urban hospitals using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. It finds that the c-section rate for rural hospitals is above the World Health Organization recommended rate of 10-15%. The brief explains that understanding the differences in delivery patterns allows for monitoring of the quality of care in rural hospitals and further research into the medical appropriateness of c-sections. It includes tables and references.