Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Pediatric and Pregnancy-related Visits at Rural Health Clinics in 2018 among Medicaid/CHIP Enrollees in 20 States
Research and policy brief on pediatric and pregnancy-related visits to Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) among Medicaid/CHIP enrollees in 20 states during the year 2018. Provides data, including regional and state comparisons, on rates at which pediatric and pregnancy-related visits took place, medical conditions observed, and services provided. Discusses the role of RHCs in overcoming geographic access barriers.
Author(s): Katherine A. Aherns, Zachariah T. Croll, Yvonne Jonk, John Gale, Heidi O'Connor
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Rural-Urban Disparities in Hospital Services and Outcomes for Children With Medical Complexity
Examines differences in availability of hospital pediatric services for rural and urban children with medical complexity requiring hospitalization, and analyzes whether hospitals' availability of pediatric services influences rural-urban health outcome disparities. Utilizes 2012-2017 claims data of 36,943 children with medical complexity. Includes data on hospitalization patterns, service availability, quality measures, and mortality.
Author(s): JoAnna K. Leyenaar, Seneca D. Freyleue, Mary Arakelyan, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(9), e2435187
Date: 09/2024
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North Carolina Health Disparities Analysis Report, 2024
Reports on health disparities in North Carolina, identifies priority populations, and provides strategies to improve health equity. Discusses rural needs and provides rural-urban data comparisons on select topics including social drivers of health, access to care, health workforce, chronic and infectious disease, mental health, substance use, suicide, violence, and injury.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
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Family Medicine Presence on Labor and Delivery: Effect on Safety Culture and Cesarean Delivery
Examines the presence of family medicine (FM) physicians and obstetricians (OBs) during labor and delivery. Utilizes survey data from 849 clinicians at 39 Iowa hospitals to analyze hospitals with FMs, OBs, or both and the association to safety culture and caesarean birth rates. Discusses the importance of FM physicians having intrapartum training and the impact on rural access to pregnancy care.
Author(s): Emily White VanGompel, Lavisha Singh, Francesca Carlock, et al.
Citation: The Annals of Family Medicine, 22(5), 375-382
Date: 09/2024
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Inequities in Adequacy of Prenatal Care and Shifts in Rural/Urban Differences Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Compares prenatal care adequacy before and during the early COVID-19 pandemic, utilizing 2016-2020 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data. Breaks down data by sociodemographic characteristics, including rural versus urban status, with further data on the influence of barriers to virtual care on rural-urban care disparities.
Author(s): Mounika Polavarapu, Shipra Singh, Camelia Arsene, Rachel Stanton
Citation: Women's Health Issues
Date: 09/2024
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Innovations in Rural Obstetrics to Maintain Access to Care
Discusses closures of rural hospitals and labor and delivery services and the impact on maternity care access. Provides examples of 6 approaches to sustain obstetric care: partnerships, community-centered care, quality initiatives, culturally competent care, rural workforce development, and maternity care as an equity issue.
Author(s): Mary Louise Gilburg, Morgan McDonald, Erin E. Sullivan
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Identifying Local Facilitators and Barriers to Screening Mammography Within a Rural Acute Care Hospital Service Area
Examines facilitators and barriers to breast cancer screening among rural Wisconsin women aged 40 and older, utilizing interview data from 11 hospital staff and 21 community members. Includes data on screening utilization and related behaviors, and provides interview excerpts to illustrate common factors affecting access.
Author(s): Cibele B. Carroll, Amye J. Tevaarwerk, Mary F. Henningfield, et al.
Citation: Wisconsin Medical Journal, 123(4), 259-266
Date: 09/2024
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Challenges and Opportunities in Rural Health Care: Chelsea Lensing
A video recording of a podcast episode that discusses mental healthcare access in rural Iowa. Features Chelsea Lensing, economics professor at Coe College in Iowa, who studies disparities in healthcare access in rural versus urban populations. Transcript available below video.
Author(s): Paul Yeager, Chelsea Lensing
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Iowa PBS
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Lessons for Future Pandemics: Temporal Evolution and Rural-Urban Variations in the Impacts of the COVID-19 on Opioid Use Treatment
Presents a study highlighting the lessons learned from opioid use treatment programs operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Explores the impact of the pandemic on treatment services. Discusses the use of telehealth for both counseling and medication prescribing, as well as the challenges faced by patients trying to obtain treatment during the pandemic.
Author(s): Zhongyang He, Jonathan M. Heess, Travis Young, Zhen Lei
Citation: PLoS ONE, 19(9), e0310386
Date: 09/2024
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Nursing Home Certificate of Need Moratoria During the COVID-19 Pandemic Had Little Impact on Access
Analyzes certificate of need (CON) moratoria and healthcare supply of skilled nursing facility (SNF) beds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizes 2015-2021 SNF cost report data to provide information on states that implemented CON moratoria, differences by rural versus urban counties, and impact on SNF bed supply.
Author(s): Anthony Yu, Christopher Whaley
Citation: INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 61
Date: 09/2024
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