Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health disparities
Maternal and Infant Health: HHS Should Strengthen Processes for Measuring Program Performance
Provides an overview of the Healthy Start program, which aims to reduce rates of infant death, improve maternal health outcomes, and reduce racial and ethnic disparities. Describes Healthy Start grantees and participants served during the April 2019-March 2024 grant period, as well as services that grantees are expected to provide and changes to these expectations for the 2024-2029 grant period. Explores the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services's (HHS) efforts to measure program performance, the extent to which Healthy Start performance measures meet key attributes of effective measures, and HHS' efforts to align Healthy Start performance measures with those of related HHS programs. Includes information on Healthy Start programs and participants by organization type, race, and rurality. Offers recommendations regarding reviewing and coordinating Healthy Start performance measures across Healthy Start and related programs.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Provides an overview of the Healthy Start program, which aims to reduce rates of infant death, improve maternal health outcomes, and reduce racial and ethnic disparities. Describes Healthy Start grantees and participants served during the April 2019-March 2024 grant period, as well as services that grantees are expected to provide and changes to these expectations for the 2024-2029 grant period. Explores the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services's (HHS) efforts to measure program performance, the extent to which Healthy Start performance measures meet key attributes of effective measures, and HHS' efforts to align Healthy Start performance measures with those of related HHS programs. Includes information on Healthy Start programs and participants by organization type, race, and rurality. Offers recommendations regarding reviewing and coordinating Healthy Start performance measures across Healthy Start and related programs.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Bridging the Rural-Urban Divide: An Implementation Plan for Leveraging Technology and Artificial Intelligence to Improve Health and Economic Outcomes in Rural America
Commentary providing an overview of rural health disparities and the healthcare needs of rural communities. Discusses ways technology and artificial intelligence may offer needed services. Presents models and infrastructure necessary to implement improvements.
Author(s): William B Weeks, Justin Spelhaug, James N Weinstein, Juan M Lavista Ferres
Citation: Journal of Rural Health
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
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Commentary providing an overview of rural health disparities and the healthcare needs of rural communities. Discusses ways technology and artificial intelligence may offer needed services. Presents models and infrastructure necessary to implement improvements.
Author(s): William B Weeks, Justin Spelhaug, James N Weinstein, Juan M Lavista Ferres
Citation: Journal of Rural Health
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
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Racial, Ethnic, and Rural Disparities in Distance to Physicians among Decedents with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias in Washington State
Evaluates travel distance to the nearest neurologist and primary care physician among people whose cause of death was related to Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) in the state of Washington. Utilizes 2011-2021 mortality data. Includes breakdowns of distance to care by race, ethnicity, and level of rurality. Highlights geographic access disparities experienced by American Indian, Alaska Native, and Hispanic people.
Author(s): Solmaz Amiri, Jonae I. Keffeler, Dennis R. Crain, Justin T. Denney, Dedra Buchwald
Citation: Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2024, 1-8
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
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Evaluates travel distance to the nearest neurologist and primary care physician among people whose cause of death was related to Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) in the state of Washington. Utilizes 2011-2021 mortality data. Includes breakdowns of distance to care by race, ethnicity, and level of rurality. Highlights geographic access disparities experienced by American Indian, Alaska Native, and Hispanic people.
Author(s): Solmaz Amiri, Jonae I. Keffeler, Dennis R. Crain, Justin T. Denney, Dedra Buchwald
Citation: Alzheimer's & Dementia, 2024, 1-8
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
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Intimate Partner Violence in Rural Communities: Perspectives from Key Informant Interviews
Policy brief discusses the challenges faces by victims and survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) seeking support services in rural communities. Bases findings on interviews with staff members from IPV victim support and advocacy organizations and highlights areas for organizations to improve support services for rural IPV victims and survivors.
Author(s): Alyssa H. Fritz, Emily C. Sheffield, Phoebe L. Chastain, et al.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Policy brief discusses the challenges faces by victims and survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) seeking support services in rural communities. Bases findings on interviews with staff members from IPV victim support and advocacy organizations and highlights areas for organizations to improve support services for rural IPV victims and survivors.
Author(s): Alyssa H. Fritz, Emily C. Sheffield, Phoebe L. Chastain, et al.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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American Clusters: Using Machine Learning to Understand Health and Health Care Disparities in the United States
Demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of using machine learning (ML) to identify social determinants of health, healthcare access, healthcare infrastructure, and geography factors contributing to health inequalities. Discusses use of ML in policy, with different levels of geography, and in future research.
Author(s): Diane M. Bowser, Kaili Maurico, Brielle A. Ruscitti, William H. Crown
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 2(3)
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
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Demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of using machine learning (ML) to identify social determinants of health, healthcare access, healthcare infrastructure, and geography factors contributing to health inequalities. Discusses use of ML in policy, with different levels of geography, and in future research.
Author(s): Diane M. Bowser, Kaili Maurico, Brielle A. Ruscitti, William H. Crown
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 2(3)
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
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2024 County Health Rankings National Findings Report
Analyzes county-level health and wellness data, focusing on issues such as public investment and health equity. Includes information on access to broadband, information, civic infrastructure and services, and more. Provides U.S. map of county-level life expectancy (LE) and discusses the relationship of LE to civic health.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
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Analyzes county-level health and wellness data, focusing on issues such as public investment and health equity. Includes information on access to broadband, information, civic infrastructure and services, and more. Provides U.S. map of county-level life expectancy (LE) and discusses the relationship of LE to civic health.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
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The Health and Social Impacts of the Maui Wildfires: Post-Disaster Care from a Sociocultural Lens
Highlights the impact of a wildfire event on existing health and social service disparities in Maui, Hawaii. Discusses housing, employment, finances, mental health, suicide risk, culture, social isolation, rurality, and service limitations. Notes opportunities and challenges for addressing these impacts using telehealth and outside assistance.
Author(s): Ryan Holliday, Lauren S. Krishnamurti, Shiloh E. Jordan, et al.
Citation: Hawai'i Journal of Health & Social Welfare, 83(3), 85-87
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
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Highlights the impact of a wildfire event on existing health and social service disparities in Maui, Hawaii. Discusses housing, employment, finances, mental health, suicide risk, culture, social isolation, rurality, and service limitations. Notes opportunities and challenges for addressing these impacts using telehealth and outside assistance.
Author(s): Ryan Holliday, Lauren S. Krishnamurti, Shiloh E. Jordan, et al.
Citation: Hawai'i Journal of Health & Social Welfare, 83(3), 85-87
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
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Ohio Health Policy Brief: Connections Between Water Quality and Health
Examines water quality in Ohio, the health impacts of polluted water, and water policy to address potential harm. Provides data on harmful algal bloom, percent of households without complete plumbing facilities by county type, per capita H2Ohio funding for lead service line replacements by county type, and counties with drinking water violations. Includes discussion about environmental health disparities in disadvantaged populations, such as Appalachian and rural.
Author(s): Lexi Chirakos, Robin Blair-Ackison, Tonni Oberly, Jacob Santiago, Anna Sheeran
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
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Examines water quality in Ohio, the health impacts of polluted water, and water policy to address potential harm. Provides data on harmful algal bloom, percent of households without complete plumbing facilities by county type, per capita H2Ohio funding for lead service line replacements by county type, and counties with drinking water violations. Includes discussion about environmental health disparities in disadvantaged populations, such as Appalachian and rural.
Author(s): Lexi Chirakos, Robin Blair-Ackison, Tonni Oberly, Jacob Santiago, Anna Sheeran
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
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Spatial and Temporal Analysis of HIV Clinical Outcomes in Florida Reveals Counties with Persistent Racial and Ethnic Disparities During 2012-2019
Analyzes health and treatment disparities among White, Hispanic, and Black people with HIV in Florida, covering viral suppression and immune reconstitution, impact of social and ecological factors, geographic variation, and changes over time. Utilizes 2012-2019 Florida Department of Health Ryan White program enrollee data. See Supplemental Table 1 for county-by-county data on risk of non-suppression among Black versus Non-Black people with HIV.
Author(s): Shannan N Rich, Yiyang Liu, Rebecca Fisk-Hoffman, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 749
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
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Analyzes health and treatment disparities among White, Hispanic, and Black people with HIV in Florida, covering viral suppression and immune reconstitution, impact of social and ecological factors, geographic variation, and changes over time. Utilizes 2012-2019 Florida Department of Health Ryan White program enrollee data. See Supplemental Table 1 for county-by-county data on risk of non-suppression among Black versus Non-Black people with HIV.
Author(s): Shannan N Rich, Yiyang Liu, Rebecca Fisk-Hoffman, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 749
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
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2023 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report: Chartbook on Patient Safety
Summarizes trends in healthcare quality across 28 measures of patient safety. Presents findings for four settings of care: ambulatory care, home health, hospitals, and nursing homes. Describes disparities in patient safety by race/ethnicity, sex, age, and insurance status. Highlights disparities for maternal morbidity and mortality measures by rurality.
Author(s): Barbara Barton, Darryl Gray, Cecilia Hahn, et al.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Summarizes trends in healthcare quality across 28 measures of patient safety. Presents findings for four settings of care: ambulatory care, home health, hospitals, and nursing homes. Describes disparities in patient safety by race/ethnicity, sex, age, and insurance status. Highlights disparities for maternal morbidity and mortality measures by rurality.
Author(s): Barbara Barton, Darryl Gray, Cecilia Hahn, et al.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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