2005 Research Publications

Browse the full list of research publications from the Rural Health Research Centers.

Products – Freely accessible products include policy briefs, fact sheets, full reports, chartbooks, and interactive data websites.

Journal Articles – Articles in peer-reviewed journals may require a subscription or affiliation with a subscribing library. For these publications, Gateway lists the article citation, a brief summary, a link to additional information and access to the full-text of the article, if available.

Dentist Vacancies in Federally Funded Health Centers
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 12/2005
This project summary presents results for dentists from a study of staffing needs at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). It provides information on dentist vacancy rates by rural and urban location and compares dentist vacancies to other healthcare provider vacancies at FQHCs.
The State of Rural Hospital Nursing and Allied Health Professional Shortages
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 12/2005
This study estimated shortages of nurses and allied health personnel among rural hospitals to gauge the difficulty experienced by rural hospitals in recruiting such personnel. The study also examined strategies these hospitals use in recruitment and retention of nurses and addressed strategies that might effectively address such shortages.
Out-of-Pocket Health Care Spending and the Rural Underinsured
Maine Rural Health Research Center
Date: 12/2005
This paper reports the results of a study to identify whether and to what extent there are rural-urban differences in underinsured rates among the privately insured, and, where differences exist, to understand what characteristics of rural residents are related to their likelihood of being underinsured.
Pharmacist Staffing and the Use of Technology in Small Rural Hospitals: Implications for Medication Safety (Full Report)
Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 12/2005
This study's results show that many small rural hospitals have limited hours of onsite pharmacist coverage and a significant number don't have a pharmacy computer or don't use one for clinical purposes. Implementation of protocols related to medication use and key medication safety practices are areas where small rural hospitals could improve.
Trends in Skilled Nursing and Swing-Bed Use in Rural Areas, 1996-2003
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 12/2005
This paper examines trends in the delivery of skilled nursing facility (SNF) services in rural areas during a time of dramatic change in Medicare payments for acute and post-acute care. It focuses on the role of rural hospitals in providing SNF services as they respond to the new reimbursement environment.
Rural and Urban Parents Report on Access to Health Care for Their Children With Medicaid Managed Care
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 12/2005
This study considers rural beneficiaries' perspectives to broaden understanding of whether Medicaid-managed care programs provide acceptable access to healthcare services for children.
Rural Diabetes Care Management Programs: An Inventory of Sample Programs in Six States
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 12/2005
This report was developed to share key contact and program information with organizations that are interested in starting a chronic disease management program in their facility.
The Impact of Welfare Reform on Health Insurance Coverage in Rural Areas
Policy Brief
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 12/2005
This policy brief explores the impact of welfare reform on the health insurance coverage of welfare recipients and other low-income persons during the period when the reform was phased in.
Contracting With Medicare Advantage Plans: A Brief for Critical Access Hospital Administrators
Policy Brief
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 12/2005
This policy brief summarizes the experience of critical access hospital (CAH) administrators with contracts offered by Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Telephone surveys were conducted with CAH administrators across the country to learn about their experiences with MA plans.
Family Physician Vacancies in Federally Funded Health Centers
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 11/2005
This project summary presents results for family physicians from a study of staffing needs at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). The summary provides information on family physician vacancy rates by rural and urban location and compares family physician vacancies to other physician vacancies at FQHCs.
Barriers Associated With the Delivery of Medicare Reimbursed Diabetes Self-Management Education
Journal Article
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 11/2005
Explores the barriers that practitioners face in providing diabetes self-management education to Medicare beneficiaries. Barriers identified for rural providers include costs, the shortage of designated specialists, fewer resources, amount of Medicare reimbursement, transportation and more.
Why Are Health Care Expenditures Increasing and Is There a Rural Differential?
Policy Brief
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 11/2005
Rising healthcare expenditures have disproportionately affected rural areas and in recent years seen higher increases in some expenditure categories, such as physician office-based visits and prescription drugs. Differences suggest strategies to contain health expenditure increases may be different in rural areas and determined on a local basis.
Assessing the Financial Effect of Medicare Payment on Rural Hospitals: Does the Source of Data Change the Results?
Policy Brief
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 11/2005
This policy brief explores how predictions of changes in hospital financial performance differ when comparing results using data from the Medicare Cost Report (MCR) to data from the audited hospital financial statement (FS). Results indicate that using the MCR rather than FS data is more valid.
Prevalence of Chronic Disease Among American Indian and Alaska Native Elders
Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 10/2005
This report examines chronic disease prevalence and functional limitations among American Indian/Alaska Natives by rurality, gender, age, healthcare access, and health behaviors. It includes policy recommendations.
Washington State Hospitals: Results of the 2005 Workforce Survey
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 10/2005
A survey of nonfederal acute care hospitals found growth in Washington's hospital sector is keeping demand for healthcare occupations high, even when vacancy rates for some jobs appear to be lower than in the past. This growth, and the shift away from contracting employees, should be considered in future workforce supply and demand projections.
Suicide in North Dakota: A Dialogue Across State and Tribal Boundaries
Policy Brief
Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 10/2005
This brief looks at three broad areas in addressing suicide: 1) an understanding of factors associated with suicide; 2) information about specific trends, such as race, gender, location, and costs; and 3) an awareness of suicide prevention strategies that address these factors through public policy and community action.
Trends in Uninsurance Among Rural Minority Children
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 10/2005
Using 21 years of data from the National Health Interview Survey to explore trends in health insurance and health services utilization for children between 1980 and 2001, the authors found that rural children have been consistently less likely to have insurance than urban children, and minority status adds to the disparity.
Rural Hospitals and Spanish Speaking Patients With Limited English Proficiency
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 10/2005
This report details that 40 million Latinos in the United States, 14.2% of the population, have limited English proficiency, which can lead to poor health outcomes in the absence of effective medical interpretation or translation services.
Early Alcohol Use, Rural Residence, and Adulthood Employment
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 10/2005
Findings indicate that drinking during youth and early adulthood was common in the early 1980s. Nearly half of respondents reported drinking before age 18, and 55.3% reported binge drinking. Drinking behaviors did not differ significantly between rural and urban residents.
Community-Level Risk Factors for Depression Hospitalizations
Policy Brief
WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
Date: 09/2005
This policy brief examines the association between depression hospitalization rates and community-level socio-demographic, economic, and healthcare system characteristics.
Differential Effectiveness of Enhanced Depression Treatment for Rural and Urban Primary Care Patients
WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
Date: 09/2005
This paper explored whether a depression disease management program has a comparable impact on clinical outcomes over two years in patients treated in rural and urban primary care practices.
The Impact of U.S. Medical Students' Debt on Their Choice of Primary Care Careers: An Analysis of Data From the 2002 Medical School Graduation Questionnaire
Journal Article
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 09/2005
Examined results from questions on the Association of American Medical Colleges' 2002 Medical School Graduation Questionnaire that focused on students' debt and career choices to examine the hypothesis that medical students' rising debt is one of the factors that explains the recent decline in students' interest in family medicine and primary care.
Mental Health Encounters in Critical Access Hospital Emergency Rooms: A National Survey
Maine Rural Health Research Center
Date: 09/2005
This survey investigates the extent and types of cases that present with mental health problems in critical access hospital emergency rooms (ERs), as well as the resources available to ER staff for addressing such problems and what actually happens to these patients.
Is Large Really Beautiful? Physician Practice in Small Versus Large Scale Communities
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 09/2005
This paper examines the effect of community size on how physicians view their practices as reported by respondents to two waves (1996-97 and 1998-99) of a national sample survey conducted as part of the Community Tracking Study. Results suggest that bigger is not necessarily better when it comes to physicians' perceptions of their practices.
Mental Health Risk Factors, Unmet Needs, and Provider Availability for Rural Children
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 09/2005
This study used the 2001 National Health Interview Survey to assess the prevalence of sub-clinical mental health problems among children, the degree to which children with potential problems use mental health and general providers for these problems, and the degree of unmet need.
Effects of Uninsurance During the Preceding 10 Years on Health Status Among Rural Working Age Adults
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 09/2005
In a population just reaching age 40, continuous health insurance coverage in the preceding 8 to 10 years was not associated with better self-perceived health than interrupted coverage. However, continuous insurance coverage was significantly related to better mental health.
Disability Burdens Among Older Americans Associated With Gender and Race/Ethnicity in Rural and Urban Areas
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 09/2005
No prior research has investigated differences in disability-free and disabled life expectancy associated with rural or urban residence. This report addresses this gap and identifies differences in healthy life expectancy that may signal important policy needs.
Revisions to Medicare's Disproportionate Share Payment Policy to Incorporate Bad Debt and Charity Care
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 09/2005
This report investigates the impact of possible changes to the Medicare disproportionate share payment policy, designed to incorporate information on the hospital's uncompensated care burden as well as to improve the payment formulae.
Pathways to Rural Practice: A Chartbook of Family Medicine Residency Training Locations and Characteristics
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 08/2005
This chartbook discusses the characteristics and geography of family medicine residency programs' rural locations, types of rural family medicine training by location, and rural mission of family medicine residencies.
Utilization of Home Health Services Among Rural Medicare Beneficiaries Before and After the PPS
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 08/2005
This report describes a study conducted on the rural effects of the PPS, including whether the PPS contributed to changes in the demographic and clinical characteristics of home care users, the likelihood of using each of six home care disciplines, and the intensity of services.
Poverty, Stress, and Violent Disagreements in the Home Among Rural Families
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 08/2005
This study used information from a large, nationally representative telephone survey of households with children, carried out by the National Center for Health Statistics, to explore the prevalence of violent disagreements in the home.
The Impact of Medicaid Cuts on Rural Communities
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 08/2005
This study assesses the perception of state Medicaid staff and individuals from State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) and Rural Health Associations (RHA) regarding the impact on rural areas of state Medicaid policy changes that occurred between 2002 and 2004.
Preparing for Medicare Part D: An Opportunity for State Offices of Rural Health and State Rural Health Associations
Policy Brief
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 08/2005
Keeping with their organizational missions to improve and promote the health of rural Americans, state offices of rural health and state rural health associations have an inherent interest in helping beneficiaries access necessary healthcare services, including prescription medications.
Rural Definitions for Health Policy and Research
Journal Article
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 07/2005
Defining "rural" for health policy and research purposes requires researchers and policy analysts to specify which aspects of rurality are most relevant to the topic at hand and then select an appropriate definition. Rural and urban taxonomies often do not discuss important demographic, cultural, and economic differences across rural places-differences that have major implications for policy and research. Factors such as geographic scale and region also must be considered. Several useful rural taxonomies are discussed and compared in this article. Careful attention to the definition of "rural" is required for effectively targeting policy and research aimed at improving the health of rural Americans.
WWAMI Physician Workforce 2005
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 05/2005
This report responds to a request by the University of Washington School of Medicine Primary Care Steering Committee to examine the current supply and distribution of physicians in the WWAMI region.
Financial Indicators for Critical Access Hospitals
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 05/2005
The purpose of this study was to develop and disseminate comparative financial indicators specifically for critical access hospitals using Medicare Cost Report data.
Community Health Worker (CHW) Certification and Training: A National Survey of Regionally and State-Based Programs
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 05/2005
This report details the results of a qualitative study of states providing a national overview of state policy and state involvement in the standardized training and certification of community health workers.
Depression in Rural Populations: Prevalence, Effects on Life Quality, and Treatment-Seeking Behavior
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 05/2005
The authors found the prevalence of major depression was higher among rural than among urban populations. Nearly all individuals scoring positive for depression reported their symptoms interfered with their life/activities. Persons without health insurance were less likely to have talked with a physician than were the privately/publicly insured.
More Culturally Sensitive Neuropsychological Tests (and Normative Data) Needed
Journal Article
Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 04/2005
Discusses the need for culturally sensitive tests and normative data regarding the Native elder population.
Geographic Access to Health Care for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 04/2005
This study looked at where Medicare beneficiaries from five states obtain their care, how far they travel for that care, and the mix of physician specialties from whom they obtain their ambulatory care.
The Availability and Use of Capital by Critical Access Hospitals
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 03/2005
This paper examines the experiences of critical access hospitals (CAHs) in meeting their capital needs. It focuses on their efforts to obtain capital, the capital sources tapped through these efforts and how CAHs have used the capital they have been able to obtain over the last few years and assesses their current capital needs.
Assisted Living in Rural America: Results From a National Survey
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 03/2005
This article examines the assisted living industry in metropolitan and rural areas. Results indicate that assisted living was largely a private-pay form of long-term care and was more common in metropolitan than rural areas. Findings suggest that assisted living will make only a marginal contribution to meeting the needs in rural areas.
Community Involvement of Critical Access Hospitals: Results of the 2004 National CAH Survey
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 03/2005
This report provides a start for understanding critical access hospital (CAH) community involvement. Data were collected and analyzed from a survey of CAH administrators conducted in 2004. Respondents were asked about community involvement activities, such as community needs assessments and hospital activities supporting special populations.
Scope of Services Offered by Critical Access Hospitals: Results of the 2004 National CAH Survey
Maine Rural Health Research Center
Date: 03/2005
Three years of data were used to examine services offered by critical access hospitals (CAHs). The authors investigated how the services offered by CAHs have changed, the role of network affiliations in the changes, and the reasons administrators gave for reported service expansions. They also looked at how services in CAHs have changed over time.
Cesarean Section Rates in Rural Hospitals
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 03/2005
This findings brief examines childbirth delivery patterns in rural hospitals and compares the C-section rate in rural hospitals to that in urban hospitals using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample.
Violence and Rural Teens: Teen Violence, Drug Use, and School-Based Prevention Services in Rural America
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 03/2005
This report describes a study to explore the prevalence of violence-related exposures and drug use among rural teens, to investigate the effects of race and gender on the risk of exposure to violence and drug use, and to compare the policies and mental healthcare services of rural and urban schools.
Patterns of Post-Acute Utilization in Rural and Urban Communities: Home Health, Skilled Nursing, and Inpatient Medical Rehabilitation
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 03/2005
This report describes rural Medicare beneficiaries' patterns of post-acute utilization of home health services, skilled nursing facilities, and inpatient rehabilitation facilities.
Intensive Care in Critical Access Hospitals (Working Paper)
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 03/2005
This paper describes what officials at critical access hospitals mean when they report that they provide intensive care and the importance of these services to the hospital and the community it serves.
Home Health Payment Reform: Trends in the Supply of Rural Agencies and Availability of Home-Based Skilled Services
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 03/2005
Findings from this study suggest that changes in home health reimbursement were associated with dramatic reductions in the supply of home care agencies; however those reductions appear to have occurred primarily during the time in which the Interim Payment System was in place.
A National Study Comparing Resident Medication Use in Rural and Non-Rural Assisted Living Facilities
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 02/2005
In addition to comparing rural and non-rural assisted living residents' medication utilization, this study examined the prevalence of inappropriately prescribed medications and drug-to-drug interactions among residents of rural and non-rural assisted living facilities.
Rural Health Research in Progress in the Rural Health Research Centers Program, 9th Edition
Maine Rural Health Research Center
Date: 02/2005
This book provides policymakers with a concise source of rural health services research underway in the Rural Health Research Centers funded by the Office of Rural Health Policy. It provides a context for legislation current that affects rural health services and populations.
The Flight of Physicians From West Africa: Views of African Physicians and Implications for Policy
Journal Article
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 2005
West African-trained physicians have been migrating from the sub-continent to rich countries, primarily the US and the UK, since medical education began in Nigeria and Ghana in the 1960s. In 2003, we visited six medical schools in West Africa to investigate the magnitude, causes, and consequences of the migration.
Rural Hospitals and Spanish Speaking Patients With Limited English Proficiency (Fact Sheet)
Fact Sheet
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2005
This fact sheet offers a brief overview of findings from a study of how rural hospitals are meeting the needs of patients with limited English proficiency.
Violence and Rural Teens: Teen Violence, Drug Use, and School-Based Prevention Services in Rural America (Fact Sheet)
Fact Sheet
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2005
This fact sheet covers the key findings from a study of violence and drug use among rural teens.
Chronic Disease and Functional Limitation Among American Indian and Alaska Native Elders
Journal Article
Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 2005
Reports the results of an analysis of chronic disease's effect on functional limitation from a survey of 7,107 Native elders representing 143 tribes from 77 sites.
One Size Fits Some: The Impact of Patient Treatment Attitudes on the Cost-Effectiveness of a Depression Primary Care Intervention
Journal Article
WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
Date: 2005
This study reports the estimated impact of patient receptivity to antidepressant medication on the cost-effectiveness of an evidence-based primary-care depression intervention.
Trends in Professional Advice to Lose Weight Among Obese Adults, 1994-2000
Journal Article
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 2005

The authors studied whether rising obesity prevalence in the U.S. was accompanied by an increasing trend in professional advice to lose weight among obese adults, and found that disparities in professional advice to lose weight associated with income and educational attainment increased from 1994 to 2000. They concluded that there is a need for mechanisms that allow healthcare professionals to devote sufficient attention to weight control and to link with evidence-based weight loss interventions, especially those that target groups most at risk for obesity.
A National Study of Obesity Prevalence and Trends by Type of Rural County
Journal Article
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 2005
Analyzes data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for 1994-1996 and 2000-2001 to estimate the recent trends in obesity among U.S. adults residing in rural locations. In 2000-2001 the prevalence of obesity was 23.0% for rural adults and 20.5% for urban, representing increases of 4.8% and 5.5%, respectively, since 1994-1996.
Explaining Black-White Differences in Receipt of Recommended Colon Cancer Treatment
Journal Article
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 2005

Black-white disparities exist in receipt of recommended medical care, including colorectal cancer treatment. This retrospective cohort study examines the degree to which health systems (e.g., physician, hospital) factors explain black-white disparities in colon cancer care. Black and white Medicare-insured colon cancer patients have an equal opportunity to learn about adjuvant chemotherapy from a medical oncologist but do not receive chemotherapy equally. Little disparity was explained by health systems; more was explained by illness severity, social support, and environment. Further qualitative research is needed to understand the factors that influence the lower receipt of chemotherapy by black patients.
Are Primary Care Services a Substitute or Complement for Specialty and Inpatient Services?
Journal Article
WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
Date: 2005
Analyses show primary care service use increases were associated with increases in all specialty outpatient services and inpatient services, as well as increases in inpatient/outpatient costs. Results show that health systems can implement strategies encouraging members to use more primary care services without driving up physical health costs.
Does Improving Geographic Access to VA Primary Care Services Impact Patients' Patterns of Utilization and Costs?
Journal Article
WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
Date: 2005
This article examines whether the establishment of community-based outpatient clinics has affected access, use, and costs for the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Rural Implications of Medicare's Post-Acute-Care Transfer Payment Policy
Journal Article
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 2005
Examines how the initial policy change affected rural and urban hospitals and investigates the likely impact of the FY2004 expansion and other possible future expansions. The authors conclude that rural hospitals are not disproportionately harmed by the post-acute-care transfer policy.
Factors Associated With Incidence of Inappropriate Ambulance Transport in Rural Areas in Cases of Moderate to Severe Head Injury in Children
Journal Article
Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 2005
An analysis was conducted to identify a set of significant predictors of cases of inappropriate deliveries to acute care facilities with no trauma-center designation of any level. Greater distance to the nearest trauma center and shorter distance traveled by the ambulance squad to the receiving corresponded to higher probabilities of mistriage.
Chronic Disease in American Indian/Alaska Native Elders
Journal Article
Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 2005
This journal article describes the prevalence of chronic diseases among Native American elders.
Providing Hospice Care in Rural Areas: Challenges and Strategies to Address Them
Journal Article
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 2005

Hospices in rural settings face challenges in the provision of hospice care as a result of their location and the size of their service area population. To ascertain the challenges that hospices face in serving rural communities, researchers conducted in-depth case studies of four different models of hospice care in rural areas. The authors describe strategies used by the case study hospices and recommend policies that could increase access to hospice care for rural Medicare beneficiaries and other rural residents. National initiatives to improve end-of-life care need to consider the special challenges faced by rural hospices.
Update: Health Insurance and Utilization of Care Among Rural Adolescents
Journal Article
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2005
Using data from the 1999-2000 National Health Interview Survey, it was found that across races, rural adolescents were as likely to have insurance but less likely to report a preventive visit than urban children; residence did not affect the likelihood of a visit or a usual source of care.
Recruitment and Retention of EMTs: A Qualitative Study
Journal Article
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2005
Emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are critical to out-of-hospital care, but maintaining staff can be difficult. The study objective was to identify factors that contribute to recruitment and retention of EMTs and paramedics.
More May Be Better: Evidence of a Negative Relationship Between Physician Supply and Hospitalization for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions
Journal Article
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2005
The authors conducted an empirical test of the relationship between physician supply and hospitalization for ambulatory care sensitive conditions.
Delivery Complications Associated With Prenatal Care Access for Medicaid-Insured Mothers in Rural and Urban Hospitals
Journal Article
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2005
Examined access to healthcare during pregnancy for mothers insured by Medicaid as well as the risks of potentially avoidable maternity complications among rural and urban hospital deliveries for groups of mothers defined by race or ethnicity.
The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: A Model for Competition in Rural America?
Journal Article
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 2005
Tests the hypothesis that the Federal Employees' Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) has fostered an environment of competing health plans, especially preferred provider organizations (PPOs), in rural areas.
The Effects of Rural Residence and Other Social Vulnerabilities on Subjective Measures of Unmet Need
Journal Article
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 2005
Are self-reports of unmet need a biased measure of access to healthcare? We examined the relationship between rural residence and perceived need for physician services and the likelihood of reporting a need for routine preventive care and/or specialty care using data from the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs.
How Might the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 Affect the Financial Viability of Rural Pharmacies? An Analysis of Preimplementation Prescription Volume and Payment Sources in Rural and Urban Areas
Journal Article
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 2005
Presents descriptive information on mail-order prescriptions, volume, and payer type of retail prescriptions in rural vs. urban areas. Together, these data provide a baseline for evaluating how implementation of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act may affect the financial viability of rural independent pharmacies.
Understanding the Impacts of the Medicare Modernization Act: Concerns of Congressional Staff
Journal Article
Maine Rural Health Research Center, RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis, Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 2005
The most efficient mechanism for research to affect policy is to provide policy makers with information on issues about which they have voiced concern. The Rural Policy Research Institute's Health Panel conducted 2 focus groups with 16 congressional staff in 2004 to identify a set of researchable questions concerning rural healthcare.
Comparing Patient Safety in Rural Hospitals by Bed Count
Maine Rural Health Research Center, Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 2005
This report shares the results of a study to determine how patient safety rates, offered services, and patient mix vary by bed count among rural hospitals.
Trends in Uninsurance Among Rural Minority Children (Fact Sheet)
Fact Sheet
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2005
This fact sheet describes childhood disparities found in health insurance, healthcare utilization, and factors related to acquiring health insurance.
Mental Health Risk Factors, Unmet Needs, and Provider Availability for Rural Children (Fact Sheet)
Fact Sheet
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2005
Children in rural areas have fewer mental health resources available. To assess the need for services among rural children, they studied information from the 2001 National Health Interview Survey. Possible mental health problems were identified based on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.
Effects of Uninsurance During the Preceding 10 Years on Health Status Among Rural Working Age Adults (Fact Sheet)
Fact Sheet
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2005
The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth was used to examine the effects of gaps in health insurance coverage on how individuals rate their physical and mental health.
Disability Burdens Among Older Americans in Rural and Urban Area
Fact Sheet
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2005
This fact sheet examines differences in disability-free and disabled life expectancy among rural or urban residents, using an indicator called "health expectancy."
Depression in Rural Populations: Prevalence, Effects on Life Quality, and Treatment-Seeking Behavior (Fact Sheet)
Fact Sheet
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2005
To explore the prevalence of selected mental health diagnoses across rural populations, including rural minority residents, they studied information obtained by the 1999 National Health Interview Survey, a nationally representative survey of more than 30,000 adults.