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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health disparities

Advancing Health Equity through Primary Care Policy: Priorities and Recommendations for California
Provides policy recommendations to improve access to primary care and improve health equity in California, summarizing perspectives and conclusions from policy, primary care, and health equity experts who participated in the 2023 Summit on Primary Care Policy to Advance Health Equity. Covers topics including engagement with community organizations, workforce development, access to care, data sharing, payment, and accountability. Discusses people who live in rural areas and other underserved populations throughout.
Author(s): Diane Rittenhouse, Rebeckah Muratore, Alexandra Ament, Deliya Wesley, Katie Morrison Lee
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: California Health Care Foundation
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Discharge Disposition for Home Health Care Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia: The Role of Living Arrangements and Rural Living
Examines rural versus urban differences in living arrangements and their impact on discharge disposition of patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia (ADRD). Analyzes 531,269 Medicare fee-for-service patient records with data breakdowns for living arrangement, such as living alone, living at home with others, or living in a congregate setting, as well as sociodemographic and health condition variables. Discusses rural versus urban disparities when a patient discharges to their community or an institution and the impact of social support on ADRD patients.
Author(s): Daniel Jung, Jeong Ha (Steph) Choi, Kerstin Gerst Emerson
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1)
Date: 08/2024
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Disparities Impact Statement
Guidance through a 5 step process for healthcare providers and other healthcare focused organizations to identify and address health disparities among various people groups including rural and tribal communities.
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Trends in Pancreatic Cancer Mortality in the United States 1999–2020: A CDC Database Population-Based Study
Examines trends in pancreatic cancer mortality by age, sex, race, level of rurality, and geographic region. Utilizes 1999-2020 CDC WONDER data. Compares mortality over time among rural, suburban, and urban populations, with additional data on Black rural, Black urban, White rural, and White urban populations.
Author(s): Alexander J. Didier, Swamroop Nandwani, Alan M. Fahoury, et al.
Citation: Cancer Causes & Control, 2024
Date: 08/2024
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Integrated Behavioral Health Implementation and Chronic Disease Management Inequities: An Exploratory Study of Statewide Data
Examines associations between the use of integrated behavioral health (IBH) and quality of asthma, diabetes, and vascular disease management at 102 primary care clinics in Minnesota. Analyzes how rurality, racial profile of clinical location, and patient socioeconomic status interact with IBH adoption and quality of chronic disease management.
Author(s): Gretchen J. R. Buchanan, Jerica M. Berge, Timothy F. Piehler
Citation: BMC Primary Care, 25, 302
Date: 08/2024
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The Rural Mortality Penalty in U.S. Hospital Patients with COVID-19
Examines whether rural-urban disparities in patient condition at hospital admission affect all-cause mortality among patients hospitalized with COVID-19 from March 2020 to February 2023, utilizing Epic Cosmos data of 1,119,199 patients. Provides data on rural versus urban differences in patient condition at admission, overall health, vaccination status, age, and other demographics. Discusses factors associated with reduced access to care in rural areas.
Author(s): Jeffrey A. Thompson, Dinesh Pal Mudaranthakam, Lynn Chollet-Hinton
Citation: Population Health Metrics, 22, 20
Date: 08/2024
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Exposure to Climate Events and Mental Health: Risk and Protective Factors from the California Health Interview Survey
Examines the association between personal characteristics and negative mental health effects following exposure to extreme weather, utilizing data from the 2021 California Health Interview survey. Analyzes characteristics including age, race, sex, education, housing stability, neighborhood safety, level of rurality, and more.
Author(s): Daniel Zhao, Elissa Epel, Elaine Allen, Alison R. Hwong
Citation: PLoS Climate, 3(8), e0000387
Date: 08/2024
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Oregon by the Numbers - Key Measures for Oregon and Its Counties
Breaks down demographic and socioeconomic data in Oregon by county. Highlights data on various measures for each county such as food insecurity, unemployment rate, adult smoking, broadband access, and percent rural versus urban, among others.
Additional links: En Español
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Ford Family Foundation, Oregon State University Rural Studies Program
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Healthiest Communities 2024
Presents data and comparative rankings for urban and rural counties describing population health, health equity, education, housing, food and nutrition, and environment, among other indicators. Includes peer group rankings for rural high-performing and up-and-coming counties. Offers searchable county data at the bottom of the page by county name or zip code.
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: U.S. News & World Report
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Structural Determinants of Health: Hospitals' Unequal Capital Investments Drive Health Inequities
Examines hospitals' capital investments as a structural factor influencing disparities in patient safety and quality of care at hospitals in the United States. Analyzes topics including hospital economics, federal policy, funding, hospital infrastructure, and more. See Section 5 in particular for discussion of rural hospitals.
Author(s): Eileen Appelbaum, Emma Curchin, Rosemary Batt
Date: 07/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR)
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