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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Emergency department and urgent care services

Mortality and Life Expectancy in Rural America: Connecting the Health and Human Service Safety Nets to Improve Health Outcomes over the Life Course
Policy brief describing the driving forces behind rural health disparities in Appalachian Kentucky. Offers nationally relevant recommendations for addressing these challenges. Discusses rural and urban differences in life expectancy and mortality rates, and other significant factors including behavioral health, substance abuse, population health, trauma care, and transportation.
Date: 10/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Comparison of Rates of Emergency Department Procedures and Critical Diagnoses in Metropolitan and Rural Hospitals
Compares experiences of emergency physicians practicing in rural and urban emergency departments to determine differences in the rates of selected procedures and critical diagnoses. Addresses the potential implications for rural emergency department rotations.
Author(s): James Waymack, Stephen Markwell, Joseph Milbrandt, Ted R. Clark
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 15(4), 3298
Date: 10/2015
Type: Document
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Not Just an Urban Phenomenon: Uninsured Rural Trauma Patients at Increased Risk for Mortality
Examines major trauma centers serving rural states to determine if rural uninsured patients have an increased risk of traumatic death. Includes data by type of insurance for adult trauma patient demographics, such as gender, race/ethnicity, and rurality.
Author(s): Azeemuddin Ahmed, Karisa K. Harland, Bryce Hoffman, et al.
Citation: Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 16(5), 632-641
Date: 09/2015
Type: Document
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Rural Ambulatory Access for Semi-Urgent Care and the Relationship of Distance to an Emergency Department
Examines how distance to emergency departments and urgent care facilities impact semi-urgent ambulatory appointments. Assesses the effect of insurance coverage and ability to pay cash on a patient's achievement in scheduling appointments in rural and suburban areas along the Appalachian Trail.
Author(s): Ashley Parks, Andy Hoegh, Damon Kuehl
Citation: Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 16(4), 594-599
Date: 07/2015
Type: Document
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Evaluation of Hospital-Setting HCIA Awards: First Annual Report, Final
Evaluations of 10 Health Care Innovation Awards Round One projects undertaken in a hospital inpatient or emergency department. Covers projects that involved Critical Access Hospitals and other rural hospitals. Includes projects focused on improved care for sepsis and projects using remote electronic intensive care unit (eICU) services.
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Abt Associates, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Emergency Department Visits and Proximity to Patients' Residences, 2009-2010
Provides data on how often patients go to the emergency department (ED) closest to their home. Includes comparisons for patients living inside metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and outside MSAs, with data on whether patients visited the closest ED by patient age, hospital visit volume, and ED wait times.
Author(s): Amy M. Brown, Sandra L. Decker, Frederic W. Selck
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Emergency Department Use in the US-Mexico Border Region and Violence in Mexico: Is There a Relationship?
Presents a study on the potential correlation between emergency department use and violence in Mexico along the U.S.-Mexico border. Breaks down data by state, payer, and patient characteristics, among other factors.
Author(s): Kimberley H. Geissler, George M. Holmes
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 31(3), 316-325
Date: 02/2015
Type: Document
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Use and Performance Variations in U.S. Rural Emergency Departments: Implications for Improving Care Quality and Reducing Costs
Illustrates the utilization and performance of emergency departments (EDs) across the urban/rural spectrum for non-emergency health conditions. Identifies and discusses the potential risk factors that may impact ED use for non-emergent healthcare.
Author(s): Yvonne Jonk, Marilyn G. Klug, Gary Hart
Date: 02/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Reform Policy Research Center
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Rural Healthy People 2020: A Companion Document to Healthy People 2020, Volume 1
Provides a rural focus for the Healthy People 2020 priorities. Includes overviews of the top 10 rural health priority areas identified by rural stakeholders. (Volume 2 discusses priorities 11-20.) Topics addressed include: health insurance, primary care, emergency services, nutrition and weight status, diabetes, mental health, substance abuse, heart disease and stroke, physical activity, older adults, maternal and child health, and tobacco use. Each overview includes reviews of the relevant literature and models that rural communities can use to address the issues. Document is available for free download, after providing brief information about intended use.
Author(s): Jane N. Bolin, Gail Bellamy, Alva O. Ferdinand, Bita Kash, Janet W. Helduser
Date: 2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
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National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2011 Emergency Department Summary Tables
Provides data on emergency department hospital visits, including information for non-metropolitan hospitals. Table 27 provides detailed hospital and emergency department characteristics by metropolitan status. Additional tables that include metro/non-metro data include Table 1, with general overview information, and Table 14, with injury visit data.
Date: 11/2014
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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