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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health conditions

Associations Between Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Rurality With New Diagnoses of Atrial Fibrillation
Examines how new diagnoses of atrial fibrillation vary by socioeconomic status and rurality, using 2021-2022 data of 369,619 patients at a Midwestern health system.
Author(s): Jonathan A. Handler, J. Rebecca Mills, Dale L. Smith, et al.
Citation: Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 37(3), 1070-1088
Date: 08/2026
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Precision Oncology for Solid Tumor Malignancies in the Rural United States: A Scoping Review
Scoping review examining literature published between 2014 and 2026 on precision oncology service delivery, access, research, and health policy in the rural United States. Discusses topics related to rural and urban disparities, patient and provider perceptions, and implementation.
Author(s): Dena P. Rhinehart, Madelyn F. Klugman, Shuait Nair, et al.
Citation: JCO Oncology Advances, 3(3), e2600045
Date: 08/2026
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Expansion of Access to Rheumatology Care for Rural Veterans: Program Development and Initial Feasibility of the National Tele-Rheumatology Program Using the RE-AIM Framework
Presents a study exploring the feasibility of the National Tele-Rheumatology Program (NTRP) hub-and-spoke model to expand access to rheumatology care for rural veterans. Discusses the program's design and implementation and evaluates outcomes based on surveys of veterans and staff interviews. Compares findings by rural and urban settings.
Author(s): Gabriela Schmajuk, Cherish R. Wilson, Catherine Nasrallah, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(3), e70198
Date: 08/2026
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Southward Expansion of Ixodes scapularis (Blacklegged) Tick Pathogens — Western North Carolina, November 2024–August 2025
Reports findings from community-based tick surveillance in Western North Carolina. Discusses the need to improve early diagnosis and reduce transmission of tickborne infections in southern Appalachia, a region where Lyme disease is emerging.
Author(s): Sean Sweeney, Ayla Bullock, Michael Reiskind, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 75(31), 398-402
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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The Role of Rurality on Self-Reported Sleep and Cognition in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Preliminary Study
Presents a study aiming to understand the way rurality impacts the relationship between sleep and cognition in aging adults. Breaks down participants' self-reported sleep, objective cognition, working memory, and executive function, among other measures, and compares rates of individuals from rural and non-rural areas.
Author(s): Madison Musich, Amy N. Costa, Puja Halder, et al.
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 26(3), 10695
Date: 08/2026
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Understanding Cancer Clinical Trial Participation in Rural Communities: A Qualitative Focus Group Study
Analyzes perceptions of cancer clinical trial participation among 30 rural cancer survivors, patients, caregivers, and advocates in rural Florida via focus group interviews. Discusses barriers to clinical trial participation, misunderstandings of clinical trial purpose, process, and accessibility, and other factors associated with rural access, communication, and trust for clinical trials.
Author(s): Yetunde Tagurum, Jennifer N. Wells, Vickie Cater, et al.
Citation: Psycho-Oncology, 35(8), e70572
Date: 08/2026
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Deaths of Despair Among Cancer Survivors in Rural/Urban Appalachia (2000-2022)
Compares deaths of despair trends among adults with cancer across Appalachian and non-Appalachian regions. Features statistics on year-by-year incidence-based mortality rates, with breakdowns by sex, urban or rural location, and region, and mortality rates for these groups in 2000 and 2022.
Author(s): Jason Semprini, Anders Erickson, Nosa Osazuwa-Peters
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 8(2), 14-28
Date: 08/2026
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Protective Factors among Rural and Remote Soldiers: A Critical Phenomenological Perspective on Suicidality in Alaska
Presents a study aiming to identify protective factors to reduce suicidality, using interviews from 38 active duty soldiers in Alaska. Includes information on protective factors from the perspective of soldiers, as well as potential supports to lower the rates of suicidality.
Author(s): Emily J. Lugdon, James R. Morton, Raeann G. LeBlanc
Citation: Military Medicine, 191(S1), 453-461
Date: 08/2026
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Bridging Gaps in Acute Care Access for Rural Veterans: The Reach and Impact of VA's Virtual Emergency and Urgent Care Programs
Examines how the Veterans Health Administration's (VA) tele-emergency care (TEC) and virtual care visits (VCV) programs influenced short-term care utilization, mortality and other health outcomes, and costs among rural veterans, using Jan 2022-Sept 2024 national call center data linked with VA administrative and community care records.
Author(s): Anita A. Vashi, Linda Diem Tran, Tracy Urech, Allison Engstrom Buggaveeti, Liam Rose
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(3), e70197
Date: 08/2026
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HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau: Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. Initiative Data Report 2024
Reports on the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program's Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative, which supports expanded programs and services to people who are not receiving regular HIV care or are unaware of their HIV status. Covers program activities, services funded, program administration, and populations served. Discusses providers, programs, and factors influencing access to care in rural areas.
Date: 08/2026
Sponsoring organization: HRSA HIV/AIDS Bureau
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