Emergency preparedness and response

Research Products & Journal Articles

Browse the full list of research publications on this topic completed by 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.

2023

A Consensus Panel Approach to Estimating the Start-Up and Annual Service Costs for Rural Ambulance Agencies
Policy Brief
Maine Rural Health Research Center
Date: 08/2023
This brief fills the information void on the costs of running rural ambulance services and establishes a minimum access standard for ambulances servicing a 25-minute travel time radius from the ambulance station, enabling policymakers and community stakeholders to develop strategic plans for the financing and provision of ambulance services.

2021

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.
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.
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.

2020

Long-Term Care Planning, Preparedness, and Response Among Rural Long-Term Care Providers
Journal Article
Southwest Rural Health Research Center
Date: 09/2020
This manuscript explores how rural long-term care providers plan, prepare, and respond to slowly or rapidly unfolding disasters (i.e., hurricanes, wildfires, and environmental spills) in three U.S. geographic areas. Data includes secondary sources and semi-constructed interviews with long-term care facilities and disaster management organizations.

2017

Emergency Department Telemedicine Is Used for More Severely Injured Rural Trauma Patients, but Does Not Decrease Transfer: A Cohort Study
Journal Article
Rural Telehealth Research Center
Date: 02/2017
Traumatic injury is a leading cause of death in the U.S. Rural residents have limited access to trauma care, and telemedicine has been proposed to improve trauma care locally. This study describes patient-level factors associated with telemedicine and measures the association between telemedicine consultation and interhospital transfer.

2008

Urban-to-Rural Evacuation: Planning for Rural Population Surge (Final Report)
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 08/2008
This study assessed the likelihood of urban evacuation to rural areas and provides recommendations for rural planning and response.
Rural Emergency Department Staffing and Participation in Emergency Certification and Training Programs
Journal Article
University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
Date: 06/2008
This paper describes how rural hospitals nationally are staffing their emergency departments (EDs) and explores the participation of rural ED physicians and other healthcare professionals in selected certification and training programs that teach skills needed to provide high quality emergency care.

2007

Spontaneous Evacuation Following a Dirty Bomb or Pandemic Influenza: Highlights From a National Survey of Urban Residents' Intended Behavior
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 11/2007
This policy analysis brief reports the results of a national survey to assess the evacuation intentions of urban citizens following emergency scenarios. It includes information on how likely it would be for evacuees to go to rural or urban areas and discusses the potential impact of an urban evacuation on rural areas.
Urban-to-Rural Evacuation: Planning for Population Surge
Policy Brief
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 04/2007
This policy brief discusses disaster planning and how rural preparedness officials face significant informational, organizational, and infrastructural constraints in their abilities to prepare for a potential population surge from urban areas.

2006

Attention From the Top: Roles of State Offices of Rural Health Policy in Preparing for Bioterrorism and Other Health System Emergencies
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 07/2006
This report presents results from a follow-up survey of directors of state offices of rural health on emergency preparedness in rural communities.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Rural Primary Care: Improving Care for Mental Health Following Bioterrorism
Journal Article
FORHP-funded Individual Grantees
Date: 2006
Describes the need to educate rural primary care providers who will be the frontline providers of mental health services following bioterrorism, given the limited availability of tertiary mental healthcare in rural communities.
PTSD and Substance Use: Unrecognized Sequelae of Bioterrorism in Primary Care Providers
Journal Article
FORHP-funded Individual Grantees
Date: 2006
Study looks at rural primary care providers' knowledge of likely mental disorders, their risk factors, and preferred treatment options following a public health emergency.

2004

Perspectives of Rural Hospitals on Bioterrorism Preparedness Planning
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 04/2004
Representatives from several rural hospitals met to discuss various aspects of bioterrorist preparedness in terms of workforce and training, physical capacity and supplies, communication, and coordination with other entities.
Understanding the Role of the Rural Hospital Emergency Department in Responding to Bioterrorist Attacks and Other Emergencies: A Review of the Literature and Guide to the Issues
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
Date: 04/2004
This report reviews issues affecting rural hospitals' levels of readiness for a bioterrorist attack. Issues examined include physical capacity, sufficiency of health personnel, preparedness plans, disease surveillance systems, and communication/coordination. Concerns about funding cut across all the issues of preparedness.
Rural Health Research in Progress in the Rural Health Research Centers Program, 8th Edition
Maine Rural Health Research Center
Date: 02/2004
This book provides policy makers 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 and proposed that affects rural health services and populations.