Chronic diseases and conditions: Rural Health Research Products & Journal Articles

2024

Palliative Care Challenges and Solutions in Rural U.S. Communities
Policy Brief
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 09/2024
This study describes palliative care in rural communities.
Prevent or Treat: Availability of Diabetes Self-Management Education and Dialysis in High Need Rural Counties
Policy Brief
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 03/2024
In this brief, researchers assess the availability of in-county diabetes self-management education and dialysis across rural and urban counties.
Availability and Quality of Dialysis Care in Rural Versus Urban U.S. Counties
Journal Article
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 02/2024
An examination of rural-urban differences in quality of dialysis care offered across the United States was conducted using data from Medicare certified dialysis facilities in 2020 from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare.

2023

Examining Rural-Urban Differences in the Availability of Hospital-Based Cardiac Services Between 2010-2020
Policy Brief
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 08/2023
This study examines the availability of hospital-based cardiac health care services (general cardiology, diagnostic catheterization, and interventional catheterization) and whether rural-urban differences in the availability of these health care services occurred between 2010 and 2020.
Diabetes Prevalence and Monitoring in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Areas Within a Commercially Insured U.S. Population
Policy Brief
Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
Date: 06/2023
This study used recent claims data, from services received between 2018 and 2020, to examine the prevalence of diabetes and to determine if patients with diabetes are more or less likely to receive annual hemoglobin A1c screening.
Factors Associated With Hospitalizations for Co-occurring HIV and Opioid-related Diagnoses: Evidence From the National Inpatient Sample, 2009-2017
Journal Article
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 05/2023
This study explores trends in co-occurring HIV and opioid-related hospitalizations and identifies key risk factors.

2022

Estimating Mortality From Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Pneumoconiosis Using Binary Regressions for Spatially Sparse Data
Journal Article
Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
Date: 02/2022
This study estimates mortality from coal workers' pneumoconiosis and other pneumoconioses among Medicare beneficiaries using the 5% Medicare Limited Claims Data Set, 2011-2014.
Evaluating the Rural HIV/AIDS Planning Program
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 01/2022
The purpose of this policy brief is to understand the overall experiences of the first grantee cohort (2020-21) of the Rural HIV/AIDS Planning Program. We pay particular attention to any barriers to or facilitators of successful grant implementation, and the sustainability of programs and acquisition of future funding.

2021

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

2020

Mortality Among Workers Employed in the Mining Industry in the United States: A 29‐Year Analysis of the National Health Interview Survey—Linked Mortality File, 1986‐2014
Journal Article
Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
Date: 07/2020
Working in the mining industry increases the risk of chronic diseases and mortality. We investigated overall and cause‐specific mortality rates among workers employed in the mining sector in the U.S.
Rural/Urban Disparities in Utilization of Diabetes Self-Management Training to the Fee-for-Service Medicare Population
Policy Brief
Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
Date: 06/2020
Diabetes self-management training (DSMT) is recommended for all newly diagnosed patients with diabetes. However, the utilization rate of DSMT is low, and geographic disparities in availability exist. This study sought to identify the extent of the rural/urban disparity in the provision of DSMT to fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries in 2012-2016.
Factors Affecting the Likelihood of a Hospitalization Following a Diabetes-Related Emergency Department Visit: A Regional and Urban-Rural Analysis
Journal Article
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 05/2020
This study examines place-based and individual-level predictors of diabetes-related hospitalizations using 2009-2014 data from the National Inpatient Sample. Our findings indicate a higher incidence of these hospitalizations in residents of noncore areas in the South and Midwest, racial and ethnic minorities, and the uninsured population.
Estimating the Prevalence and Spatial Clusters of Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis Cases Using Medicare Claims Data, 2011‐2014
Journal Article
Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
Date: 03/2020
Workers in the coal mining sector are at increased risk of respiratory diseases, including coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP). We investigated the prevalence of CWP and its association with sociodemographic factors among Medicare beneficiaries. We found evidence of significant spatial clustering of CWP in the states and population analyzed.
Healthy People 2020 Progress for Leading Causes of Death in Rural and Urban America: A Chartbook
Chartbook
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 03/2020
The purpose of this project is to conduct a midterm examination of urban versus rural disparities in meeting Healthy People 2020 mortality objectives for the top 10 leading causes of death in the U.S.

2019

Congestive Heart Failure-Related Hospital Deaths Across the Urban-Rural Continuum in the United States
Journal Article
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 12/2019
This study examines congestive heart failure (CHF)-related, in-hospital mortality across six levels of rurality and four census regions. Results indicated CHF-related hospital admissions in small metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas, compared to large central metropolitan areas, were more likely to result in death.
Healthy People 2020: Rural Areas Lag in Achieving Targets for Major Causes of Death
Journal Article
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 12/2019
For the period 2007-2017 rural death rates were higher than urban rates for the seven major causes of death analyzed, and disparities widened for five of the seven. In 2017 urban areas had met national targets for three of the seven causes, while rural areas had met none of the targets.
The Prevalence of Chronic Diseases Among Current and Ex-Miners in the United States
Journal Article
Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
Date: 12/2019
This paper compares the prevalence and odds of chronic diseases among ex-miners and current miners, adjusting for certain variables that might influence health outcomes. The analysis found that the prevalence of chronic disease is significantly higher among ex-miners.
Prevalence and Mortality of Heart Disease and Related Conditions: Disparities Affecting the South, Rural Areas, and American Indian and Alaska Natives
Policy Brief
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 11/2019
This policy brief identifies trends in the prevalence of stroke, heart disease, and heart attack while also assessing trends in mortality for heart disease and related conditions across the nation. The study examined whether disease-related mortality and prevalence varied across place and time.
Comparing Rural and Urban Medicare Advantage Beneficiary Characteristics
Policy Brief
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 03/2019
This brief reports few rural and urban differences in observed demographic characteristics among enrollees in the Medicare Advantage program. Issuers often exclude rural counties from their service areas, but we find no evidence that this is due to such demographics, suggesting that other reasons relating to population size may be more likely.
The Changing Landscape of Diabetes Mortality in the United States Across Region and Rurality, 1999-2016
Journal Article
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 02/2019
This brief report examines place-based differences in diabetes mortality to understand whether disparities in diabetes mortality have changed across U.S. Census regions and levels of rurality over time. Reductions in diabetes mortality are lagging in rural areas, and the rural South in particular, relative to other areas of the country.
Diabetes-Related Hospital Mortality in the U.S.: A Pooled Cross-Sectional Study of the National Inpatient Sample
Journal Article
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 02/2019
This study examined place-based and individual-level variations in diabetes-related hospital deaths using the 2009-2015 National Inpatient Sample. Results show that place-based disparities exist. Targeted focus should be placed on the control of diabetic complications in the South, West, and Midwest census regions and among rural residents.

2018

Cancer Mortality in Rural America: 1999-2016
Policy Brief
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 11/2018
This policy brief details the differences in mortality from cancer at various levels of rurality in America. The primary aim of this study was to understand the scope of cancer mortality in urban and rural areas of the U.S. Common cancer types—breast, cervical, lung, prostate, and colon—were analyzed over an 18-year period from 1999-2016.
Availability of Respiratory Care Services in Critical Access and Rural Hospitals
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 06/2018
This policy brief describes the availability of respiratory care services and respiratory therapists in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and in rural and urban Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals.
Diabetes-Related Hospital Mortality in Rural America: A Significant Cause for Concern
Policy Brief
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 03/2018
This brief is the third in a series prepared by the Southwest Rural Health Research Center on the topic of diabetes. The aim of this study was to examine trends and rates of diabetes-related deaths for persons hospitalized in the U.S., with emphasis on differences across the urban-rural continuum and across census regions.

2017

Diabetes and Forgone Medical Care Due to Cost in the U.S. (2011-2015): Individual-level and Place-Based Disparities
Policy Brief
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 08/2017
This brief is the first in a series prepared by the Southwest Rural Health Research Center on the topic of diabetes. The two aims of this study were to identify trends in diabetes rates and forgone medical care among persons with diabetes in the U.S. and to identify geographic determinants and other social determinants of health disparities.
Diabetes Mortality in Rural America: 1999-2015
Policy Brief
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 08/2017
This brief is the second in a series prepared by the Southwest Rural Health Research Center on the topic of diabetes. The primary aim of this study was to understand the scope of diabetes-related mortality in urban and rural America. We analyzed mortality caused by diabetes over a 16-year period and explored the roles played by rurality and race.
Barriers Rural Physicians Face Prescribing Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder
Journal Article
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 07/2017
Opioid use disorder is a serious public health problem. Management with buprenorphine is an effective medication-assisted treatment, but 60.1% of rural counties lack a physician with a Drug Enforcement Agency waiver to prescribe buprenorphine. This national study surveyed all rural physicians who have received a waiver in the United States.
Medical Barriers to Nursing Home Care for Rural Residents
Policy Brief
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 05/2017
This policy brief describes barriers rural residents with complex medical care needs may face when seeking placement in a nursing home and identifies potential policy strategies to overcome them.
Assessing Diabetes and Factors Associated With Foregoing Medical Care Among Persons With Diabetes: Disparities Facing American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, Hispanic, Low Income, and Southern Adults in the U.S. (2011-2015)
Journal Article
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 04/2017
The purpose of this project was to identify individual- and place-based factors associated with diagnosed diabetes and foregone medical care among those diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes prevalence and foregone medical care were found to be higher for those with lower incomes, for several racial/ethnic groups, and in the South versus other regions.

2016

Colonoscopy Access and Utilization – Rural Disparities in the Carolinas, 2001-2010
Policy Brief
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 07/2016
This study aims to use data on where patients travel for their colonoscopies to determine the extent to which access is changing over space and time, and to better understand utilization patterns among rural residents of North and South Carolina between 2001 and 2010.
Geographic Disparities in Mortality Among the End Stage Renal Disease Patients: An Analysis of the United States Renal Data System, 2007-08.
Journal Article
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 06/2016
Explores the association between morality, rurality, and distance from the treatment facility of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Rural patients were found to have a mortality advantage.
Access to Rural Home Health Services: Views From the Field
Report
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 02/2016
Access to home health care can be challenging for rural Medicare clients. Key informants for this study detailed obstacles, including financial, regulatory, workforce, and geographic issues. Rural communities will likely benefit from payment reforms that reward quality services while providing incentives to use best practices in home health care.

2015

Thirty-Day Readmission Rates Among Dual-Eligible Beneficiaries
Journal Article
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 08/2015
Examines readmission rates and factors affecting readmission of patients eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (dual-eligibility).

2014

The 2014 Update of the Rural-Urban Chartbook
Chartbook
North Dakota and NORC Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
Date: 10/2014
This chartbook includes trends and disparities in urban/rural health. Reports on population characteristics include age, race and ethnicity, and poverty; risk factors such as smoking, alcohol use, and obesity; mortality data; health status measures such as adolescent births and total tooth loss; healthcare access/use; and mental health measures.
Rural-Urban Disparities in Heart Disease
Policy Brief
North Dakota and NORC Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
Date: 10/2014
The Department of Health and Human Services' report Health, United States, 2001: With Urban and Rural Health Chartbook illustrated trends and highlighted priorities in urban/rural health. The Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center replicated the analyses using the most recent data available. This brief highlights key heart disease findings.
Implications of Rurality and Psychiatric Status for Diabetic Preventive Care Use Among Adults With Diabetes
Policy Brief
Maine Rural Health Research Center
Date: 05/2014
This brief examines patterns of diabetic preventive care use among adults with diabetes to determine whether these patterns vary according to respondents' rural/urban residence or the presence/absence of a mental health diagnosis.
Do Rural Patients With Early-Stage Prostate Cancer Gain Access to All Treatment Choices? (Final Report)
Report
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 02/2014
This report compares rates of receipt of prostate cancer treatments and of the treatment options between early-stage prostate cancer patients living in urban and four levels of rural counties.

2013

Dialysis Availability in Rural America
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 01/2013
This study explores the availability of dialysis services in rural America, including the prevalence of dialysis use across urban and rural counties, travel distance for services, and dialysis quality outcomes.
HIV/AIDS in Rural America (Key Facts)
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 01/2013
This report describes the proportion of the population affected by HIV/AIDS.
HIV/AIDS in Rural America: Prevalence and Service Availability
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 01/2013
This report examines the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in rural counties across 28 states in 2008 and the rural-versus-urban distribution of Ryan White providers.
Rural Population Estimates: An Analysis of a Large Secondary Data Set
Journal Article
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2013
Examines in the underrepresentation of rural counties in large secondary data sources, specifically the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).

2012

Childhood Asthma in Rural-Urban Areas
Policy Brief
West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
Date: 06/2012
This policy brief examines how asthma may be related to rural areas adjacent or non-adjacent to larger population centers, to variation in measures of air quality, to varying levels of agricultural and animal production, and to other characteristics such as obesity, race/ethnicity, or health insurance.
Childhood Asthma in Rural-Urban Areas (Final Report)
West Virginia Rural Health Research Center
Date: 05/2012
This report examines how asthma may be related to rural areas adjacent or non-adjacent to larger population centers, to variation in measures of air quality, to varying levels of agricultural and animal production, and to other characteristics such as obesity, race/ethnicity, or health insurance.
Lower Rehospitalization Rates Among Rural Medicare Beneficiaries With Diabetes
Journal Article
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2012
Evaluates 30-day readmission rates of Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes in rural areas.
Missing the Handoff: Post-Hospitalization Follow-up Care Among Rural Medicare Beneficiaries With Diabetes
Journal Article
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2012
Analyzes urban and rural differences in post-discharge physician follow-up care using data from 2005 Medicare claims files.

2011

Handling the Handoff: Rural and Race-Based Disparities in Post-Hospitalization Follow-Up Care Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Diabetes
Fact Sheet
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 10/2011
This fact sheet uses information regarding Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes to examine the provision of care in rural America.
Handling the Handoff: Rural and Race-Based Disparities in Post Hospitalization Follow-Up Care Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Diabetes
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 09/2011
This report uses information regarding Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes to examine the provision of care in rural America.

2008

Financing Rural Public Health Activities in Prevention and Health Promotion (Final Report)
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 06/2008
This is the final report of a study to determine whether the flow of federal resources, from federal agencies, through states, and to communities, is influenced by state- and local-level public health infrastructure.
Rural Public Health Financing: The Relationship Between Infrastructure and Local Program Funding
Policy Brief
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 06/2008
This study's purpose was to describe how federal funds for selected chronic disease prevention and health promotion activities are distributed to local health departments and non-governmental organizations at the local level and to identify infrastructure-related barriers that rural agencies may face in securing and using funds for such purposes.

2007

National Rural Hospital Charges Due to Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 12/2007
This policy brief documents the national magnitude of charges associated with hospitalizations due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions in rural hospitals.
Regional Variation in Rural Hospital Charges Due to Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions
Policy Brief
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 12/2007
This policy brief estimates and documents the regional magnitude of charges associated with hospitalizations due to ambulatory care sensitive conditions in rural hospitals.
Ambulatory Care Sensitive Condition Hospitalizations Among Rural Children (Brief)
Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 06/2007
This brief reports results from a study examining children's inpatient hospitalizations for ambulatory care sensitive conditions, rural residence, poverty, health insurance, and physician supply. Admission rates were examined for asthma, diabetes short-term complications, gastroenteritis, urinary tract infection, and perforated appendix.
A National Study of Lifetime Asthma Prevalence and Trends in Metro and Non-Metro Counties, 2000-2003 (Full Report)
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 01/2007
This paper reports the findings of a study regarding the prevalence of and recent trends in asthma among adults residing in metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties in the United States.
A National Study of Lifetime Asthma Prevalence and Trends in Metro and Non-Metro Counties, 2000-2003 (Project Summary)
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 01/2007
This summary provides a brief overview of the findings from a study of the prevalence of and recent trends in asthma among adults residing in metropolitan and non-metropolitan counties in the United States.

2006

Elements of Successful Rural Diabetes Management Programs
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 07/2006
This report shares findings from a study about local innovations implemented by rural chronic disease management programs. Using diabetes as a proxy for all chronic diseases, the authors explored how local innovations overcame challenges of the rural setting to provide effective and efficient disease management.
Chronic Disease Management Systems (Registries) in Rural Health Care
Policy Brief
RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Date: 05/2006
A Chronic Disease Management System (CDMS) is a tool that helps providers collect and analyze patient information to promote quality care. This study shows that CDMSs are readily available to rural clinics and are being implemented and maintained by clinic staff with minimal expenditures for technology.
Rural Residence and Hispanic Ethnicity: Doubly Disadvantaged for Diabetes?
Journal Article
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2006
Determines whether living in a rural area and being Hispanic confers special risks for diagnosis and control of diabetes.

2005

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

2004

Assessment of Barriers to the Delivery of Medicare Reimbursed Diabetes Self-Management Education in Rural Areas
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 09/2004
This report explores the barriers that rural practitioners face in providing diabetes education services to Medicare beneficiaries.
Chronic Disease Management in Rural Areas
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 05/2004
This article describes a study of six chronic disease management programs throughout the United States. It discusses issues related to chronic disease management in rural areas.
Barriers to the Delivery of Medicare Reimbursed Diabetes Self-Management Education in Rural Areas
Fact Sheet
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2004
Diabetes Self-Management Education programs help newly diagnosed and chronic patients with diabetes learn to manage their care. This project explored the barriers that rural practitioners face in providing diabetes education to Medicare beneficiaries.
Chronic Disease Management in Rural Areas: A Research Update
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 2004
Rural implementation of chronic disease management is discussed. Included are a list of benefits and barriers related to disease management.
Diabetes & Hypertension Among Rural Hispanics
Fact Sheet
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2004
This fact sheet describes rates of diabetes and hypertension among rural Hispanics.
Diabetes & Hypertension Among Rural Hispanics: Disparities in Diagnostics and Disease Management
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2004
Modest health disparities were found among rural Hispanics when examining diabetes. Undiagnosed hypertension was higher for rural residents than for urban residents. A large proportion of persons diagnosed with either disease had poor control of their condition, as indicated by elevated glucose levels or high blood pressure.

2003

Chronic Disease Management in Rural and Underserved Areas: Patient Responses and Outcomes
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 11/2003
Findings from site visits and interviews with six chronic disease management (DM) programs across the United States indicated DM programs were extremely important in the areas of patient healthcare and quality of care and resulted in positive clinical and financial outcomes.
Hospitalization for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions: Asthma, Diabetes, and Congestive Heart Failure in South Carolina
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 05/2003
Hospitalization rates for ambulatory care sensitive conditions, diseases for which primary care in the preceding six months could have reduced or eliminated the need for hospitalization, are a commonly used indicator of disparities in access to care.
Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease Among Rural African Americans
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 02/2003
This report investigates the association of race and rural residence on rates of diagnosis of diabetes and cardiovascular disease and indicators of good medical control among people with diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.
Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease in Rural African Americans
Fact Sheet
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2003
Previous research has indicated that persons living in rural areas are more vulnerable to poor health than those living in urban areas. Minorities in particular are more vulnerable to poor health than non-minorities.
Diagnostic Risk Factors & Improvement Activities Among Rural African Americans
Fact Sheet
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2003
This fact sheet discusses disease management among rural African Americans.
Diagnostic Risk Factors & Improvement Activities Among Rural Hispanics
Fact Sheet
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2003
This fact sheet discusses disease management among rural Hispanics.
Hospitalization for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions: Congestive Heart Failure, Diabetes and Asthma in South Carolina
Fact Sheet
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 2003
This fact sheet gives a brief overview of findings from a study of hospitalizations in South Carolina for ambulatory care sensitive conditions.

2002

Hypertension, Diabetes, Cholesterol, Weight, and Weight Control Activities Among Non-Metro Minority Adults
Rural and Minority Health Research Center
Date: 12/2002
This report uses data from the 1998 National Health Interview Survey to examine the prevalence of selected problems among rural populations, with an emphasis on rural minorities.
Diabetes and the Rural Safety Net
Maine Rural Health Research Center
Date: 01/2002
This paper investigates the extent to which the rural safety net is able to meet the needs of people with diabetes.

2001

Improving the Quality of Outpatient Care for Older Patients With Diabetes: Lessons From a Comparison of Rural and Urban Communities
Journal Article
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Date: 08/2001
Compares the quality of diabetic care received by patients in rural and urban communities in Washington State. Concludes that large rural towns may provide the best conditions for high-quality care-growing communities that serve as regional referral centers and have an adequate, but not excessive, supply of generalist and specialist physicians.

2000

Race and Place: Urban-Rural Differences in Health for Racial and Ethnic Minorities
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Date: 03/2000
This findings brief investigates urban-rural disparities for racial and ethnic minorities in six health areas: infant mortality, cancer screening and management, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, HIV infection, and child and adult immunizations.