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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health disparities

Use of Medicaid Personal Care Services in 2019 and 2020
Explores the change in the utilization of personal care services (PCS) among Medicaid beneficiaries from 2019 to 2020. Compares the number and characteristics of Medicaid enrollees with comprehensive benefits who received personal care services (PCS) between a pre-COVID-19 pandemic period (March and December of 2019) and a COVID-19 pandemic period (March through December of 2020). Presents data by patient demographic and clinical characteristics.
Author(s): Melissa Sanchez, Zosha Kandel, Andrea Wysocki, et al.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Public Health Research and Program Strategies for Diabetes Prevention and Management
Editorial describing diabetes prevention and management efforts and policy since 1975. Discusses disparities in diabetes prevalence including rural residence. Highlights current and future work in diabetes prevention and management.
Author(s): Shelly-Ann Bowen, Arsham Alamian, Stephen Onufrak
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Rising Rural Mortality Rates From Natural Causes for Working-Age Adults Lead to Widening Gap With Urban Counterparts
Reports on disparities in natural cause mortality rates between rural and urban working age adults. Explores disparities by various demographic factors and underlying causes.
Author(s): Kelsey L. Thomas (Conley), Elizabeth A. Dobis, David McGranahan
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease Prevalence by Race and Ethnicity, Socioeconomic Status, Urbanicity, and Social Determinants of Health Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Diabetes
Examines demographic disparities in cardiovascular disease prevalence among people with diabetes, utilizing 2015–2019 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey data. Includes sociodemographic data, including rural-urban comparisons, on crude and adjusted prevalence of myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure.
Author(s): Xilin Zhou, Joohyun Park, Deborah B. Rolka, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22, 240270
Date: 03/2025
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Mortality Trends of Traumatic Brain Injuries in the Adult Population of the United States: A CDC WONDER Analysis from 1999 to 2020
Examines demographic disparities in traumatic brain injury (TBI) mortality, utilizing 1999-2020 CDC Wonder data of 1,026,185 TBI-related deaths. See Fig. 5 for data breakdowns by level of rurality and year.
Author(s): Muhammad Hamza Dawood, Yusra Fazli, Sejal Lund, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 25, 482
Date: 02/2025
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Instability Continues to Threaten Rural Health Safety Net: Reduced Reimbursements, Dwindling Access to Care and Deteriorating Population Health Status
Examines factors contributing to the instability of the rural healthcare safety net, including policy-related reimbursement cuts and changes to payer mixes. Presents data on rural hospitals that have stopped offering obstetrics and chemotherapy services. Explores aspects of rural population health and social drivers of health as they relate to rural healthcare delivery challenges.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Impact of Rural School-Based Health Centers on Asthma Management
Examines preventive asthma care for rural students who have access to school-based health centers (SBHCs). Analyzes SBHCs in upstate New York and healthcare encounters related to asthma. Discusses disparities in asthma care for rural students who have access to an SBHC versus those who do not.
Author(s): Wendy M. Brunner, Zhuang Han, Sharon Tennyson, et al.
Citation: The Journal of Pediatrics, 277, 114385
Date: 02/2025
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Incidence and Survival of Children and Adolescents With Wilms Tumor, United States, 2001–2020
Analyzes new cases of Wilms Tumor and 5-year survival rates among patients aged less than 20 years at diagnosis, utilizing 2003-2020 US Cancer Statistics (USCS) and 2001-2019 National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) data. Breaks down data by clinical and demographic factors, including level of rurality.
Author(s): Andrew F. Espinoza, Ekene Onwuka, David A. Siegel, et al.
Citation: Cancer Medicine, 14(3), e70598
Date: 02/2025
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Goal Alignment and Unintended Consequences of Accountable Care: How the Structure of Oregon's Medicaid Coordinated Care Model Shapes Health Plan-Clinic Partnerships
Analyzes how the coordinated care organization model in Oregon impacts payers and primary care clinics through building relationships, metrics reporting, electronic health record technical assistance, training, and implementing alternative payment methods. Includes discussion of the impact on rural clinics and rural health outcomes.
Author(s): Erin S. Kenzie, Jean Campbell, Mellodie Seater, et al.
Citation: Journal of Clinical and Translational Science, 9(1)
Date: 02/2025
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High Prescription Drug Out-of-Pocket Spending Burden among Privately Insured Rural and Urban Adults Age 18-64
Analyzes prescription drug out-of-pocket spending among privately-insured rural and urban adults, utilizing 2017-2020 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data. Compares average spending and high prescription out-of-pocket burden in rural and urban populations, and details implications for rural medication adherence and associated health outcomes.
Author(s): Jean A. Talbot, Elora Way, Yvonne Jonk, Erica C. Ziller
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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