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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health disparities

Current Approaches to Rural Health Workforce Challenges Need Improvement
Describes rural health disparities using data from New York's provider recruitment efforts. Features statistics on the percentage of New York-trained physicians in the states with the highest rural populations, and workforce recruitment program outcomes with breakdowns by medical specialty and urban or rural location.
Author(s): Gaetano Forte
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: Association of American Medical Colleges
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Access to CCTA at Safety-Net Hospitals Across the United States
Examines the availability of coronary CT angiography (CCTA) at safety-net hospitals to evaluate patients with chest pain. Analyzes 391 safety-net hospitals according to bed size, state, academic status, and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Jonah Delshad, Trevor Weis, Caleb Bayona, et al.
Citation: Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography, 19(3), 340-343
Date: 05/2025
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Rural and Urban Differences in Suicide in the United States, 2018-2021
Highlights the rates of suicide across the U.S. from 2018-2021 in rural and urban areas. Discusses some of the geographic and demographic characteristics that correlate with higher rates of suicide. Breaks down data by year, demographics, Census and HHS regions, and rural versus urban location. Makes policy recommendations based on the report's findings.
Author(s): Qian Huang, Nicole Galler, Michael Meit, Amy Wahlquist
Date: 05/2025
Sponsoring organization: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
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Rural–Urban Disparities in Cancer Care—Analyzing Routinely Collected Patient‐Reported Outcomes. A Cross‐Sectional Study
Compares rural and urban patient-reported outcomes related to anxiety, depression, fatigue, pain interference, and physical function among 7,271 cancer patients who received treatment at the Huntsman Cancer Institute between 2016 and 2019. Includes data breakdowns by rural or urban status, including comparisons by specific cancer types.
Author(s): Dominik J. Ose, Bayarmaa Mark, Krista Ocier, et al.
Citation: Cancer Medicine, 14(8), e70437
Date: 04/2025
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Rebuilding Maternal Health Access in Western North Carolina: Addressing Critical Gaps Amplified by Hurricane Helene
Discusses the impact of Hurricane Helene on maternal health in rural North Carolina. Focuses on maternal healthcare workforce shortages, access issues in isolated areas, maternal morbidity and mortality, rural health disparities, and more. Offers suggestions to improve rural maternal health in North Carolina, including enhancing data collection, strengthening infrastructure and access, and addressing the social determinants of health.
Author(s): Jennifer Runkle, Maggie Sugg
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 86(1)
Date: 04/2025
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Severe Maternal Morbidity in Tennessee, 2018-2022
Focuses on severe maternal morbidity (SMM) occurring during hospitalizations for childbirth in Tennessee, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. Features statistics including SMM rates by maternal residence, with breakdowns by urban, urban adjacent, and rural counties.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: Tennessee Department of Health
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Rural-Urban Disparities in Hospitalisation for Myocardial Infarction in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in the USA
Examines rural-urban disparities in hospitalization for myocardial infarction among people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), utilizing 2016-2019 National Inpatient Sample data. Analyzes demographic factors, including sex and geographic region, associated with increased risk of hospitalization.
Author(s): Jasvinder A. Singh, Sumanth Chandrupatla
Citation: Lupus Science & Medicine, 12, e001516
Date: 04/2025
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Rural Hospital Closures and Nursing Home Outcomes
Details a study exploring the effect of rural hospital closures on rural nursing home outcomes in the corresponding county. Discusses care utilization and resident health and compares effects of hospital-based and non-hospital-based long-term care facilities.
Author(s): Emmaline Keesee, Tyler Malone, Susie Gurzenda, George Pink
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2), e70026
Date: 04/2025
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Perceived Risk and HPV Vaccination Awareness Among Women in Rural and Underserved Communities in the State of Louisiana
Explores human papillomavirus (HPV) awareness and vaccination knowledge among women in rural and underserved areas of Louisiana, via a study of 141 women who participated in a mobile health unit-based study conducted between November 2022 and December 2023. Includes data on awareness of the existence of the HPV vaccine, history of being offered or receiving the HPV vaccine, willingness to be vaccinated, and the relationship between HPV knowledge and perceived HPV risk.
Author(s): Deborah Gurgel Smith, Emily M Dantes, Robbie Beyl, et al.
Citation: Journal of Community Health, 50(5), 826-832
Date: 04/2025
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The Rural and Urban Supply of Clinicians With a DEA Waiver to Prescribe Buprenorphine in 2022 Prior to the Elimination of the Waiver Requirement
Report explores the differences in rates of clinicians with DEA waivers to prescribe buprenorphine in 2022 in rural versus urban counties. Highlights the rural gaps in access to buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder prior to the elimination of the DEA waiver requirement in 2023. Provides rural, urban, and regional comparisons.
Date: 04/2025
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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