2021 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.

Rural Urban Variation in Travel Burdens for Care: Findings From the 2017 National Household Travel Survey (Executive Summary)
Supplement
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 12/2021
This project focuses on geographic access to medical and dental care, knowing that travel distances can keep people from getting necessary care. The study examines how rural residents' travel behaviors vary by socio-demographic and geographic characteristics and evaluates factors associated with a higher travel burden for medical and dental care.
Implementation of Telehealth Services in Rural Schools: A Qualitative Assessment
Journal Article
Rural Telehealth Research Center
Date: 11/2021
This study explores facilitators and barriers to implementation of telehealth programs in rural schools and identifies strategies for successful implementation to inform future school-based telehealth initiatives. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 50 key personnel involved in the School-Based Telehealth Network Grant Program.
Using CPT Charges as an Economic Proxy for Telehealth and Non-Telehealth Emergency Department Utilization
Policy Brief
Rural Telehealth Research Center
Date: 11/2021
This brief examines economic data on emergency department visits from unrelated rural hospitals. By using the reported Current Procedural Terminology code and associated charge, we explore the characteristics of the resulting dataset in terms of distribution and association with related variables.
Rural Health Network Development Planning Grants: Geographic Location and Change Over Time
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 11/2021
The purpose of this policy brief is to examine the geographic distribution of Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant recipients across the United States.
Barriers to Aging in Place in Rural Communities: Perspectives From State Offices of Rural Health
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 11/2021
This policy brief presents findings from an online survey of State Offices of Rural Health describing barriers for older adults in successfully aging in place in rural communities, and recommendations for how to improve the ability to safely age in place in rural areas of their states.
Community Health Worker Roles and Their Evolving Interprofessional Relationships in the United States
Journal Article
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 10/2021
This project analyzes the evolving integration of Community Health Workers (CHWs) into the United States healthcare system. CHWs can aid patients in navigating the complex nature of medical services. Through focus groups with CHWs, three stages in the interprofessional relationships between CHWs and other care providers were identified.
2021 CMS Hospital Quality Star Ratings of Rural Hospitals
Policy Brief
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, Rapid Response to Requests for Rural Data Analysis
Date: 10/2021
The purpose of this study is to 1) compare the 2021 CMS Hospital Quality Star Rating results for rural and urban hospitals, 2) to compare the 2021 and 2016 CMS Hospital Quality Star Rating results for rural hospitals, and 3) to identify implications for the usefulness of the CMS Hospital Quality Star Ratings for rural hospitals.
The Association of Rurality and Breast Cancer Stage at Diagnosis: A National Study of the SEER Cancer Registry
Policy Brief
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 10/2021
Patients from rural areas have lower breast cancer screening rates and poorer cancer outcomes than urban patients and received initial breast cancer diagnosis at a later stage compared with urban patients. Black race and being uninsured were also associated with late stage at diagnosis. Patterns have persisted and suggest areas for policy change.
Examples of Statewide Age-Friendly Initiatives
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 10/2021
The purpose of these policy briefs is to identify the extent of statewide programs to support aging in place or age-friendly environments and, within those, to identify the extent to which such programs have an explicit rural focus. The "Examples" document provides an overview of the initiatives identified in the "Environmental Scan."
Statewide Age-Friendly Initiatives: An Environmental Scan
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 10/2021
The purpose of these policy briefs is to identify the extent of statewide programs to support aging in place or age-friendly environments and, within those, to identify the extent to which such programs have an explicit rural focus. The "Examples" document provides an overview of the initiatives identified in the "Environmental Scan."
Successes and Challenges to Network Sustainability: Perspectives of 2019-2020 Rural Health Network Development Planning Grantees
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 10/2021
The purpose of this brief is to examine the successes and challenges to network sustainability, as well as barriers to and facilitators of success among the 2019-2020 cohort grantees in the Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant Program.
Racial, Rural, and Regional Disparities in Diabetes-Related Lower-Extremity Amputation Rates, 2009–2017
Journal Article
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 09/2021
This study examines race, rurality, and regional disparities in diabetes-related lower-extremity amputations (LEA) among adult hospitalizations from 2009-2017. Findings indicate rising minor LEA rates among Asians/Pacific Islanders and rising major LEA rates among hospitalized diabetes patients in the Midwest.
Medicare Advantage Enrollment Update 2021
Policy Brief
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis, Rapid Response to Requests for Rural Data Analysis
Date: 09/2021
The RUPRI Center's annual update on Medicare Advantage (MA) shows that both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan enrollment has continued to grow for more than 10 years. However, between 2020 and 2021 the rate of growth in nonmetropolitan counties was more than twice as large as that in metropolitan counties.
COVID-19 Cases and Vaccination Rates
Policy Brief
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis, Rapid Response to Requests for Rural Data Analysis
Date: 09/2021
This data brief examines the relationship between vaccination rates, COVID-19 one-week incidence and metropolitan/nonmetropolitan location. Additional information is provided for Census regions and individual states.
Suicide Mortality Rates in Farm-Related Occupations and the Agriculture Industry in the United States
Journal Article
Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
Date: 09/2021
This article examines suicide mortality among agricultural workers comparing rural and urban residents using pooled data from the Mortality‐Linked National Health Interview Survey, 1986–2014.
Changes in Socioeconomic Mix and Health Outcomes in Rural Counties With Hospital Closures, 2005-2018
Policy Brief
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 09/2021
This brief examines the trend of hospital closures between 2005 and 2018 across definitions of rurality. Social, economic, and health structure trends at the county level across the contiguous United States were the study's focus.
Geographic Access to Health Care for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries: A National Study
Policy Brief
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 09/2021
Using national data from 2014, this policy brief describes geographic variation in the mix of providers caring for rural versus urban Medicare beneficiaries, the quantity of visits received by beneficiaries across Census Divisions and types of rural areas, and the distance traveled for care for several serious conditions.
Medicare Covers a Lower Percentage of Outpatient Costs in Hospitals Located in Rural Areas
Policy Brief
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, Rapid Response to Requests for Rural Data Analysis
Date: 09/2021
The purpose of this brief is to describe differences in Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) payments between rural and urban hospitals by Medicare payment classification and by number of acute beds.
Use of Electronic Health Records to Manage Tobacco Screening and Treatment in Rural Primary Care
Journal Article
Maine Rural Health Research Center
Date: 09/2021
This study compares the performance of rural and urban primary care providers in adhering to evidence-based smoking-related standards of care and assesses the degree to which electronic health record use was related to improved adherence to these standards in the practice of rural versus urban providers.
Higher Electronic Health Record (EHR) Functionality Lowers Urban Hospital Costs but Rural Impacts Are Minimal
Policy Brief
Center for Economic Analysis of Rural Health
Date: 09/2021
Increases in Electronic Health Records (EHRs) functionality are associated with reductions in total hospital costs, driven mainly by lower outpatient costs. However, improvements in EHR functionality do not seem to significantly reduce costs for rural hospitals.
Trends in Cancer Treatment Service Availability Across Critical Access Hospitals and Prospective Payment System Hospitals
Journal Article
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 08/2021
This study investigated trends in cancer services availability in urban and rural Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Compared with all PPS hospitals, CAHs offered fewer cancer treatment services and experienced a decline in service capability over time.
Cardiovascular & Cancer Rates for the Rural Delta Region: Rural Delta Region Map Tool
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 08/2021
The Rural Delta Region Map Tool is an interactive tool that shows 13 health measures for people in Delta Region counties/parishes. It can be used to compare rates of cancer and cardiovascular disease by county, by rural-urban status, to peer counties, to the national average, and to national quartiles.
State and Regional Differences in Access to Hospital-Based Obstetric Services for Rural Residents, 2018
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 08/2021
This policy brief measures state and regional differences in the availability of hospital-based obstetric services among rural hospitals in the U.S. in 2018.
COVID-19 Cases and Deaths, Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Counties Over Time (Update)
Report
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis, Rapid Response to Requests for Rural Data Analysis
Date: 08/2021
This data brief compares seven-day moving average COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates between metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore counties in the U.S. The brief is updated twice a month.
County-Level 14-Day COVID-19 Case Trajectories
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis, Rapid Response to Requests for Rural Data Analysis
Date: 08/2021
Many locations in the U.S. are relaxing their community-level COVID-19 mitigation measures. But one of the key "gating" indicators for doing this is a downward trajectory of new cases during a 14-day period. The rural data brief examines county-level 14-day trajectories for new confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Confirmed COVID-19 Cases, Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Counties
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis, Rapid Response to Requests for Rural Data Analysis
Date: 08/2021
This data brief shows the spread of COVID-19 confirmed cases across the U.S., highlighting metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties with confirmed cases of, and deaths from, COVID-19.
"They're Not Leaving Their Home; This Is Where They Were Born, This Is Where They Will Die.": Key Informant Perspectives From the U.S. Counties With the Greatest Concentration of the Oldest Old
Journal Article
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 07/2021
Researchers share interview results with key informants from 50 rural U.S. counties with the highest percentage of the residents ages 85 and older or the "oldest old." Respondents shared unique challenges to serving this population, as well as positive attributes of rural communities that make them attractive places for growing older.
Identification of Rural Communities With Limited Access to Safety Net Healthcare Providers
Fact Sheet
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 07/2021
This fact sheet identifies rural U.S. counties with suboptimal access to safety net healthcare providers.
Rural-Urban Variations in Travel Burdens for Care: Findings From the 2017 National Household Travel Survey (Policy Brief)
Policy Brief
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 07/2021
This project focuses on geographic access to medical and dental care, knowing that travel distances can keep people from getting necessary care. The study examines how rural residents' travel behaviors vary by socio-demographic and geographic characteristics and evaluates factors associated with a higher travel burden for medical and dental care.
How Many Hospitals Might Convert to a Rural Emergency Hospital?
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 07/2021
In this study, three measures were used to predict the number of rural hospitals with 50 beds or less that are likely to consider conversion to a Rural Emergency Hospital: 1) three years negative total margin; 2) average daily census (acute + swing) less than three; and 3) net patient revenue less than $20 million.
Disparities in Maternal Immunization Among Women Residing in Rural and Urban Areas of the United States
Journal Article
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 06/2021
This study evaluates disparities in urban-rural influenza vaccination rates of women prior to and during pregnancy using 2016-2018 Pregnant Risk Assessment Monitoring System data. Findings indicate women residing in rural areas have lower vaccination rates with the greatest differences seen in Hispanic women and women with no health insurance.
Trends in Spatial Access to Colonoscopy in South Carolina, 2000-2014
Journal Article
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 06/2021
This study looks at the availability of colonoscopy screenings in South Carolina between 2000 and 2014 with a focus on changes in spatial access for these preventive services.
Estimates of Childhood Overweight and Obesity at the Region, State, and County Levels: A Multilevel Small Area Estimation Approach
Journal Article
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 06/2021
The goal of this study is to create a map of county-level obesity rates at the regional, county, and state levels.
The Co-occurrence of HIV and Opioid Mortality in Rural and Urban America From 1999-2018
Policy Brief
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 06/2021
This project evaluates trends in mortality from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and opioid use in rural and urban areas of the U.S. It explores whether HIV and opioid deaths appear to be related over time in rural and urban areas.
Voices From the Field: A Qualitative Study of the Challenges and Promising Practices of Rural Public Health in Addressing HIV and Hepatitis C
Journal Article
Maine Rural Health Research Center
Date: 05/2021
Interviewing public health professionals from six rural states, researchers examined the challenges involving HIV, HCV, and serving rural people who inject drugs and determined strategies to address those challenges.
Rural Health Network Development Planning Grants Awarded to Entities in Counties With Majority Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color Populations, 2003-2020
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 05/2021
The purpose of this policy brief is to describe the prevalence of Rural Health Network Development Planning Grants awarded to organizations located in counties where the population is majority Black, majority Hispanic, majority Indigenous, has no majority racial or ethnic group, or is located in a U.S. territory.
Trends in Network Focus Areas Among Network Development Planning Grantees, 2003-2020
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 05/2021
The purpose of this policy brief is to examine the trends over time in network focus areas among grantees awarded the Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant from 2003-2020.
Success Among Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant Awardees: Barriers and Facilitators
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 05/2021
The purpose of this policy brief is to examine the barriers to and facilitators of success for grantees implementing the Rural Health Network Development Planning Grant and meeting their individual goals for the grant period.
Preferences for Long-Term Care Arrangements Among Rural and Urban Older Adults
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 05/2021
This study describes care preferences by rural and urban location and by demographic characteristics among rural residents.
Rural and Racial Disparities in Colorectal Cancer Incidence and Mortality in South Carolina, 1996 - 2016
Journal Article
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 05/2021
This study investigated how race and rurality impact colorectal cancer incidence and mortality in South Carolina.
Medicare Advantage Enrollment Update 2020
Policy Brief
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis, Rapid Response to Requests for Rural Data Analysis
Date: 05/2021
This annual update on Medicare Advantage (MA) shows that both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan enrollment has continued to grow for more than 10 years. The percent of nonmetropolitan MA enrollees in Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans has increased every year since 2017. Metropolitan HMO enrollment has decreased every year since 2016.
Medicare-Paid Naloxone: Trends in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Areas
Policy Brief
Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
Date: 05/2021
Naloxone is an opioid overdose reversal medication. Medicare beneficiaries benefit from access to naloxone because they have high rates of high-dose prescription opioids. This brief examines trends in Medicare-paid naloxone dispensing rates in nonmetropolitan versus metropolitan areas from 2014 to 2018.
Community Health Worker Sustainability: Funding, Payment, and Reimbursement Laws in the United States
Journal Article
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 04/2021
Recent changes have been made to community health worker (CHW) funding at the federal level, but payment structures vary from state to state. This paper aims to identify funding mechanisms that would enable CHW programs to sustain a robust workforce.
Disparities in Meeting USPSTF Breast, Cervical, and Colorectal Cancer Screening Guidelines Among Women in the United States
Journal Article
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 04/2021
The US Preventive Services Task Force provides recommendations for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening. This manuscript examines the sociodemographic characteristics associated with women meeting these recommendations.
Demographics and Disability Status of Adults Living Alone in Rural Areas
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 04/2021
This policy brief examines how the types of people who live alone differ between urban and rural areas, focusing on differences in age and disability status.
Trends in Singleton Preterm Births by Rural Status in the U.S., 2012-2018
Policy Brief
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 04/2021
This brief examines singleton preterm birth rates by rurality and across census regions in the U.S. It also studies the relationship between singleton preterm birth and several maternal characteristics among women who lived in counties with various rurality levels from 2012-2018.
Influenza and Pertussis Vaccination Rates Among Pregnant Women in Rural and Urban Areas
Policy Brief
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 04/2021
This policy brief evaluates the receipt of influenza and pertussis vaccines from 2012-2018 among pregnant women in rural and urban areas of the U.S. Furthermore, it examines whether pregnant women during this this same period received influenza vaccine recommendations from their healthcare providers.
Changes in Provision of Selected Services by Rural and Urban Hospitals Between 2009 and 2017
Policy Brief
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 04/2021
The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of recent trends in hospital service provision and whether there were disparities between rural and urban hospitals. This brief describes and compares the changes in service provision for rural and urban hospitals between 2009 and 2017.
Characteristics of Rural and Urban U.S. Hospitals Based on Obstetric Services
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 04/2021
This infographic provides an overview of characteristics of rural and urban hospitals in the United States that provide obstetric services, as well as rural hospitals that recently closed their obstetric units.
Rural and Urban Hospital Characteristics by Obstetric Service Provision Status, 2010-2018
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 04/2021
The purpose of this policy brief is to illustrate the differences between urban and rural hospitals that provide obstetric services by their size, capacity, location, and community characteristics, as well as to compare these factors between rural hospitals with obstetric services and those that recently closed their obstetric units.
Geographic Access to Health Care for Rural Beneficiaries in Five States: An Update
Policy Brief
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 04/2021
Using data from five states, this study describes the mix of providers caring for rural Medicare beneficiaries, the quantity of care received, and how far rural beneficiaries traveled for care for several selected conditions in 2014. Results are also compared with a similar study of the same states that used data from 1998.
Spatial Analysis of Healthcare Utilization Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis and Other Related Pneumoconiosis
Policy Brief
Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
Date: 04/2021
Miners risk developing coal workers' pneumoconiosis (black lung disease) and other pneumoconiosis. This study determines, maps, and analyzes the spatial patterns of healthcare utilization among Medicare beneficiaries with black lung disease and other related pneumoconiosis using the Medicare beneficiaries Limited Data Set from 2011-2014.
Challenges to Admitting Residents: Perspectives From Rural Nursing Home Administrators and Staff
Journal Article
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 03/2021
This study uses a survey of rural nursing home administrators (n=209) to assess perceptions of difficulty rural nursing homes encounter in admitting and serving individuals with dementia, obesity, mental and behavioral health conditions, and medically complex conditions.
Tracking the Geographic Distribution and Growth of Clinicians With a DEA Waiver to Prescribe Buprenorphine to Treat Opioid Use Disorder
Journal Article
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 03/2021
The increase in clinicians who can prescribe buprenorphine improves access to treatment for opioid use disorder. Small remote rural communities continue to experience access challenges. 63.1% of all rural counties had at least one clinician with a Drug Enforcement Administration waiver, but more than half of small remote rural counties did not.
Post-acute Care Trajectories for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries: Planned Versus Actual Hospital Discharges to Skilled Nursing Facilities and Home Health Agencies
Policy Brief
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 03/2021
This policy brief describes trajectories for rural Medicare beneficiaries following hospital discharge, including differences between planned and actual discharge to skilled nursing facilities and home health agencies. More than 40% of beneficiaries for whom home health care was indicated did not receive care from a home health agency.
The Distribution of the General Surgery Workforce in Rural and Urban America in 2019
Policy Brief
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 03/2021
Researchers examined the 2019 per capita supply of general surgeons in rural and urban areas of the U.S. and compared those results to a similar study of general surgeon supply conducted in 2001. Researchers also examined change in the regional distribution and age and gender characteristics of general surgeons since 2001.
The Effect of Medicare Payment Standardization Methods on the Perceived Cost of Post-Acute Swing Bed Care in Critical Access Hospitals
Policy Brief
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 03/2021
The purpose of this study is to describe the effects of current Medicare payment standardization methods on the perceived cost of Critical Access Hospital swing bed care as it relates to the Medicare Spending per Beneficiary measure.
Sources of Insurance Coverage in Nonmetropolitan Areas: The Role of Public and Private Insurance Since 2009
Policy Brief
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 03/2021
This brief uses 2009-13 and 2013-17 American Community Survey five-year estimates to compare types of health insurance coverage for the nonelderly in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The significant growth in public insurance rates due to Medicaid expansion was larger for those living in nonmetropolitan areas compared to metropolitan areas.
Geographic Expansion of Medicaid Managed Care Organizations: Assessing Access to Primary Care in Nonmetropolitan Counties
Policy Brief
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 03/2021
This brief evaluates the degree to which Medicaid beneficiaries in nonmetropolitan counties that were newly served by managed care organizations in 2012-2018 are able to access primary care, as determined by travel time. The study also examined the association between their primary care access and the strength of network adequacy state policies.
Rural-Urban Residence and Maternal Hepatitis C Infection, U.S.: 2010-2018
Journal Article
Maine Rural Health Research Center
Date: 02/2021
This study uses data from the U.S. natality files to examine rural-urban differences in county-level rates of maternal infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) during 2010-2018. Findings can help inform implementation of community-level interventions to reduce maternal HCV infection and narrow rural-urban disparities.
Availability of Supplemental Benefits in Medicare Advantage Plans in Rural and Urban Areas
Policy Brief
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 02/2021
This brief identifies differences in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans that include supplemental benefits available to rural and urban enrollees. By better understanding the variation in MA plan offerings across the country, policymakers can take appropriate action to improve the value of plans available in rural regions.
Rural HIV Prevalence and Service Availability in the United States: A Chartbook
Chartbook
Maine Rural Health Research Center
Date: 02/2021
This chartbook examines 2016 HIV prevalence and the availability of HIV prevention, testing, and treatment services across the rural-urban continuum and by U.S. census region.
Capacity of Rural Counties to Address an HIV or Hepatitis C Outbreak
Policy Brief
Maine Rural Health Research Center
Date: 02/2021
This study examines rural-urban differences in state and local health department capacity to prevent, prepare for, and respond to an HIV or hepatitis C outbreak.
High-Functioning Rural Medicare ACOs – A Qualitative Review
Policy Brief
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 02/2021
This brief identifies common success factors among four high-performing rural Medicare Accountable Care Organizations.
Opioid-Related Visits to Rural Emergency Departments
Policy Brief
Maine Rural Health Research Center
Date: 02/2021
The purpose of this project was to compare rural and urban opioid-related emergency department visits. Data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample were used to examine rural and urban opioid-related visits over time and to compare the outcomes of these visits.
Trends in Nursing Home Closures in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Counties in the United States, 2008-2018
Policy Brief
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 02/2021
Nursing home closures have raised concerns about access to long-term services and supports in rural areas. This study examines trends in closures and characteristics of open and closed nursing homes in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties. Furthermore, this study identifies metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties without any nursing homes.
The Intersection of Rural Residence and Minority Race/Ethnicity in Cancer Disparities in the United States
Journal Article
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 02/2021
This manuscript summarizes how racism and social determinants of health disproportionately affect rural racial/ethnic minorities, offers a review of the cancer disparities rural racial/ethnic minorities face, and recommends policy, research, and intervention to reduce these disparities.
Alternatives to Hospital Closure: Findings From a National Survey of CAH Executives
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 02/2021
Despite the many challenges of operating a Critical Access Hospital (CAH), little research examines the perspectives of CAH executives on potential community healthcare options if the CAH closed. This brief provides policymakers with a better understanding of what CAH executives think about the viability of various alternatives to closure.
Health System Challenges for Critical Access Hospitals: Findings From a National Survey of CAH Executives
Policy Brief
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 02/2021
Despite the numerous challenges of operating a Critical Access Hospital (CAH), there is little research examining the perspectives of CAH executives on potential community healthcare options if the CAH closed. This brief presents a subset of results from a national survey of CAH executive perspectives on pressing challenges.
Pharmacy Vaccination Service Availability in Nonmetropolitan Counties
Policy Brief
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis, Rapid Response to Requests for Rural Data Analysis
Date: 02/2021
Pharmacies will play a role in administering the COVID-19 vaccination to the general public. But there are many rural locations in the U.S. where pharmacy resources are limited. This rural data brief examines the availability of pharmacies capable of delivering COVID-19 vaccinations in nonmetropolitan areas.
Characteristics and Challenges of Rural Ambulance Agencies – A Brief Review and Policy Considerations
Report
RUPRI Health Panel: Rural Policy Analysis and Applications
Date: 01/2021
There are 23,272 ambulance agencies in the U.S., and 73% of those agencies report serving rural areas. This paper examines current rural ambulance agency characteristics and challenges and identifies public policy considerations designed to stabilize rural ambulance agencies.
Advancing Population Health in Rural Places: Key Lessons and Policy Opportunities
Report
RUPRI Health Panel: Rural Policy Analysis and Applications
Date: 01/2021
This paper advances policy discussion of population health in rural places, focusing on the role of rural healthcare organizations. Lessons from ongoing programs provide policy considerations. Medicare and Medicaid programs should prioritize staff and infrastructure development, flexibility in covered benefits, and further expansion of telehealth.
HRSA's Evidence-Based Tele-Emergency Network Grant Program: Multi-Site Prospective Cohort Analysis Across Six Rural Emergency Department Telemedicine Networks
Journal Article
Rural Telehealth Research Center
Date: 01/2021
The Health Resources and Services Administration funded six grantees to provide telehealth services in rural emergency departments (tele-ED) and gather data for the telehealth evidence base. This paper examines trends across multiple tele-ED networks and heterogeneity in processes and outcomes.
Barriers to Health Care Access for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries: Recommendations From Rural Health Clinics
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 01/2021
This brief presents findings from an online survey of Rural Health Clinics describing barriers for Medicare patients in accessing healthcare services and recommendations for how to improve access to care for Medicare beneficiaries in rural areas.