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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health conditions

JCO Oncology Practice: Understaffed and Overbooked: The Problems with Maintaining Specialty Care in Rural Areas
Podcast episode discussing the results of a study on rural oncologists' experiences with specialist scarcity in rural areas, and details how oncology workforce shortages contribute to reduced access to care and increased physician burnout. Transcript available below audio player.
Author(s): Fumiko Chino, Erika Moen, Dan Zuckerman
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: JCO Oncology Practice
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Advancing Rural Cancer Control: A Portfolio Analysis of Research Funded by the National Cancer Institute, 2016–2024
Highlights a study exploring cancer control-focused grants funded by the National Cancer Institute for research opportunities to identify methods to close rural and urban disparities in cancer outcomes. Details rural grants from 2016 to 2024, their healthcare focus, and location of cancer treated.
Author(s): Anna Gaysynsky, Sallie J. Weaver, Robin C. Vanderpool, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70120
Date: 01/2026
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Trends in Cancer Incidence in Younger Adults in the Midwest
Examines cancer incidence and type in adults aged 18-49 and living in the Midwest. Utilizes 2019-2024 National Health Interview Survey data to analyze cancer incidence according to patient demographics, including metro versus nonmetro location.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Snapshot of Rural Health in Colorado, 2026
Provides an overview of rural health in Colorado. Includes data and statistics on a variety of indicators, such as education, poverty, rural economy, healthcare coverage and access, rural health information technology, behavioral health, oral health, and workforce shortages. Includes five regional snapshots from around the state that are free to download with name and organization affiliation.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Rural Health Center
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Antecedents of Loneliness among Cancer Survivors: An Exploratory Analysis of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) Data
Examines psychosocial and personal factors contributing to social isolation among cancer survivors and isolation as a mediator between those factors and mental health, using 2022 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 6) data of 926 cancer survivors. Provides data on rural and urban populations throughout.
Author(s): Avishek Choudhury, Christopher W. Wheldon, Safa Elkefi, Priyanka Dixit
Citation: PLOS ONE, 21(1), e0323159
Date: 01/2026
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Stroke Technology Diffusion in Rural Settings: Differential Exposure to Certification Levels by Community Income Levels
Analyzes how access to certified stroke center services has varied over time among rural communities by median family income level, using 2009-2019 Medicare Provider and Analysis Review (MedPAR) data. Compares access to Acute Stroke Ready Hospitals, Primary Stroke Centers, Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Centers, or Comprehensive Stroke Centers among low, medium, and high-income communities.
Author(s): Yu-Chu Shen, Maya Spencer, Renee Y. Hsia
Citation: Neurology, 106(4), e214644
Date: 01/2026
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Ensuring a Strong Future for America's Cancer Workforce: A Report from the President's Cancer Panel to the President of the United States
Identifies priorities and provides recommendations to support the cancer workforce, improve access to clinical trials, and promote high-quality research in the United States. Discusses the rural cancer care workforce and other factors influencing rural access to care throughout.
Author(s): Mitchel S. Berger, Carol L. Brown
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: President's Cancer Panel
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Mobile Telemedicine for Treating Chronic Hepatitis C among Rural People Who Inject Drugs: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Explores the efficacy of a mobile telemedicine-based intervention for hepatitis C (HCV) infections among rural people who inject drugs. Highlights the outcomes of the intervention in terms of treatment initiation, viral clearance, and reduced equipment sharing. Breaks down data by demographic characteristics, outcomes, and risks and probabilities, among other measures.
Author(s): Peter D. Friedmann, Donna Wilson, David de Gijsel, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 9(1), e2555125
Date: 01/2026
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Molecular and Socioeconomic Characteristics of Inflammatory Breast Cancer in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study
Examines associations between the incidence of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) and demographic and clinical factors, including rurality, utilizing Carolina Breast Cancer Study data of 153 cases of IBC.
Author(s): Qichen Wang, Sarah C. Van Alsten, Xiaojia Ji, et al.
Citation: Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 215(2), 61
Date: 01/2026
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Compounding Hazards Posed by Wildfires, Flooding, and Resource Extraction: Assessing Multimedia Metal(loid) Exposures and Risk in Rural, Southwestern U.S. Populations
Examines the impact of weather events, resource extraction, and dust exposure on cancer risk in rural communities in Arizona. Utilizes a community-based study and data from multiple sampling sites to analyze child and adult exposure to hazardous elements.
Author(s): Zain Alabdain Alqattan, God'sgift N. Chukwuonye, Camille Tinerella, Miriam Jones, Mónica D. Ramírez-Andreotta
Citation: Environment International, 207, 110034
Date: 01/2026
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