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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Elderly population

Characteristics of Patients Hospitalized in Rural and Urban ICUs From 2010 to 2019
Examines the characteristics of fee-for-service Medicare patients who received intensive care in rural. Compares patient characteristics to those who received intensive care in urban hospitals, and the change in patient characteristics between 2010 and 2019. Presents data by patient age, sex, race and ethnicity, mean area deprivation index rank, primary diagnosis, and more.
Author(s): Emily A. Harlan, Muhammad Ghous, Ira S. Moscovice, Thomas S. Valley
Citation: Critical Care Medicine, 52(10), 1577-1586
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
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Social Isolation and Loneliness Prevention among Rural Older Adults Aging-in-Place: A Needs Assessment
Surveyed 82 rural older adults aging in place in rural Appalachian Tennessee to determined local factors contributing to social isolation and loneliness. Discusses neighborhood conditions, interpersonal relationships and activities, health status, and sociodemographic characteristics. Offers rural-specific strategies for addressing social isolation and loneliness in rural communities.
Author(s): Jodi L. Southerland, Shimin Zheng, Kayla Dodson, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 12, 1404869
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
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Disparities in Structural Brain Imaging in Older Adults from Rural Communities in Southern Nevada
Analyzes the association of brain cortical thickness (CT) with rurality and neighborhood disadvantage among older adults with and without clinical impairment related to dementia. Utilizes demographic and MRI scan data of 71 rural and 87 urban Nevadans.
Author(s): Xiaowei Zhuang, Dietmar Cordes, Jessica Z. K. Caldwell, Andrew R. Bender, Justin B. Miller
Citation: Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 16
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
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Hearing Aid Use Trends Among Older Adults by Income and Metropolitan vs Nonmetropolitan Residence
Evaluates 3 years of National Health & Aging Trends Study survey results to determine hearing aid use trends among older adults with a breakdown by 3 income levels and metropolitan or nonmetropolitan residence. Discusses changes between 2011 and 2022 and potential impacts of policies to expand access to hearing care.
Author(s): Sarah Y. Bessen, Wuyang Zhang, Emmanuel Garcia-Morales, Jennifer A. Deal, NIcholas S. Reed
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(9)
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
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Age-Friendly Health Systems Integration into Rural Primary Care Clinics: A Journey of One Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program
Examines implementation of the Age-Friendly Health Systems (AFHS) 4Ms Framework in rural Arkansas primary care clinics. Details program aspects related to workforce training, workplace culture, and resource provision and discusses evidence-based approaches to implementation. Provides data on the AFHS 4Ms Framework's impact on patient engagement and healthcare quality for older adults in rural settings.
Author(s): Leah Tobey-Moore, Katherine Scalzo, Stacie Massey, Robin McAtee
Citation: INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
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States and Rural Communities With and Without the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
Results of a study measuring sociodemographic differences in locations with and without a Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) organization headquarters. Features statistics on local population characteristics with breakdowns by rural areas with and without a PACE organization headquarters, and a state-level map showing geographic distribution of PACE organizations by PACE headquarters location in rural or urban areas.
Author(s): Julia D. Interrante, Ingrid Jacobson, Madeleine Pick, Mariana Tuttle, Carrie Henning-Smith
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Rural-Urban Residence and Life Expectancies With and Without Pain
Analyzes disparities in life expectancy and pain-free years of life remaining among rural, suburban, and urban upper-middle aged and older adults with and without chronic pain. Utilizes U.S. Health and Retirement Study (HRS) data for 18,160 individuals from 2000-2018. Includes data breakdowns by region, age group, sex, and severity of pain.
Author(s): Feinuo Sun, Zachary Zimmer, Nicolas Brouard
Citation: Health & Place, 89, 103305
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
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Geographic Variations in Urban-Rural Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Concentrations in the United States, 2010–2019
Compares fine particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) ambient air concentration in rural versus urban areas from 2010 to 2019, utilizing the AHRQ database on Social Determinants of Health. Examines rural-urban changes in PM2.5 concentration over time, with breakdowns by census tract race and ethnicity, poverty, residents under age 15, and residents over age 65.
Author(s): Daniel J. Kilpatrick, Peiyin Hung, Elizabeth Crouch, et al.
Citation: GeoHealth, 8(9), e2023GH000920
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
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Prescription Medication Use, Coverage, and Nonadherence Among Adults Age 65 and Older: United States, 2021–2022
Reports on medication use, prescription drug insurance coverage, and nonadherence due to cost for older adults between 2021 and 2022. Includes data breakdown of various demographic and health status characteristics including 4 levels of urbanization.
Author(s): Robin A. Cohen, Laryssa Mykyta
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Medical Visits and Mortality among Dementia Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic Compared to Rates Predicted from 2019
Evaluates actual versus predicted changes in medical visits and mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic among adults aged 66 and older with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). Utilizes 2019-2022 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) data. See table 3 for a bar graph displaying differences in COVID-related and COVID-unrelated excess mortality for selected sociodemographic factors, including level of rurality, during the pandemic.
Author(s): Kaushik Ghosh, Susan T. Stewart, Trivellore Raghunathan, David M. Cutler
Citation: BMC Geriatrics, 24, 727
Date: 09/2024
Type: Document
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