Social determinants of health

Completed Projects

Listed by project completion date. You can also view these projects alphabetically.

Examining Differences in Rural and Urban Medicare FFS Beneficiaries' Emergency Department Use Pre-COVID-19 and During COVID-19
This study described and compared the differences in the utilization of emergency department (ED) services among rural and urban Medicare Fee-For-Service enrollees during 2018-2021. Researchers identified factors associated with differences in ED use, including shifts in volume, primary diagnoses, and admission source, before and since the COVID-19 public health emergency in rural and urban areas.
Research center: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
Topics: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Emergency medical services (EMS) and trauma, Healthcare access, Hospitals and clinics, Medicare, Social determinants of health

Rural Health Access: Affordability and Barriers to Care
Rural-urban comparisons of healthcare access and affordability predate many policy reform efforts aimed at increasing access and decreasing costs—ongoing concerns of rural families. This study used national health survey data to examine rural-urban differences in access to medical care, access to insurance, and affordability of care.
Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Topics: Health reform, Health services, Healthcare access, Healthcare financing, Private health insurance, Public health, Social determinants of health

Northern Border Regional Commission State and Region Chartbooks: A Health-Focused Landscape Analysis
The aim of this study was to compile the most recent publicly available data related to health and healthcare access at the county-level and state-level for the Norther Border Region and the individual states: ME, NH, VT, and NY. We highlighted counties with worse health outcomes, as compared to the rest of the counties in the region.
Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Topics: Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Rural statistics and demographics, Social determinants of health, Substance use and treatment, Telehealth, Uninsured and underinsured, Workforce

Exploring Rural and Urban Mortality Differences
This project examines the impact of rurality on mortality and explores the regional differences in the primary and underlying causes of death. It also explores the role of the rural public health systems in addressing social determinants of health.
Research center: North Dakota and NORC Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
Topics: Public health, Social determinants of health