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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Statistics and data

Apr 2, 2024 - Highlights population shift trends between urban and rural places. Notes that the highest rural county gains were in those closest to metropolitan areas. Discusses current data alongside pre-pandemic patterns as well as state level trends.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Mar 26, 2024 - Summarizes recent research investigating prescription treatment for rural residents with opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder. Finds that rural residents with dual diagnoses are unlikely to be prescribed medication to treat both disorders.
Source: HealthDay News
Mar 25, 2024 - The U.S. Census Bureau is providing an additional 30 days for comments on proposed revisions to the American Community Survey (ACS) and Puerto Rico Community Survey. Changes cover household roster, educational attainment, health insurance coverage, disability, and labor force questions. Comments are due within 30 days of this notice.
Source: Federal Register
Mar 21, 2024 - Summarizes recent research investigating a lung screening program for rural veterans that found higher prevalence of lung cancer in veterans when compared to the prevalence found in the National Lung Screening Trial. Researchers found that the screening method used was successful for high-risk populations.
Source: DocWire News
Mar 19, 2024 - The National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS) will hold a virtual public meeting on April 11-12, 2024. Agenda items include discussions on the 2024 workplan and briefings and discussions with invited experts on several health data policy topics, including standards for social determinants of health data elements, possible implications of value based care models versus fee-for-service on HIPAA standards, an overview of the key elements of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) published by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) in November 2023, and exploration of privacy and security in AI in technology and healthcare. Registration for the meeting is available on the NCVHS website.
Source: Federal Register
Mar 18, 2024 - Highlights recent rural employment statistics released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Notes that recent trends were improving, but the latest report showed rural employment has decreased 0.4% when compared to pre-COVID numbers. Includes urban and rural comparisons as well as variations within industries.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Feb 27, 2024 - Commentary on the growing prenatal substance exposure crisis in West Virginia. Discusses rural specific challenges, as well as access to healthcare issues and social determinants of health measures. Cites research on infant outcomes following exposure to various substances. Highlights Project WATCH, a referral system connecting families to services in West Virginia.
Source: The Conversation
Feb 26, 2024 - Summarizes recent research that estimated fungal keratitis in commercially insured patients. Found that the eye infection may be twice as high for rural residents when compared to urban residents in addition to other disparities.
Source: Physician's Weekly