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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Research methods and resources

An Updated Measure of Poverty: (Re)Drawing the Line
Examines the strengths and weaknesses of the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) and makes recommendations to update it to better reflect the resources available to households. Includes discussion of geographic variation in the cost of living in metropolitan versus nonmetro areas and the potential for a finer level of detail to reveal variations for expenses like housing and transportation.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Development of a Colorectal Cancer Screening Intervention for Alaska Native People During a Pandemic Year
Examines the development and implementation of a screening methodology for colorectal cancer (CRC) in Alaska Native (AN) populations. Analyzes 32 rural/remote AN communities who received various community-based CRC screening interventions compared to 14 AN communities who received opportunistic care for CRC screening. Includes discussion about barriers and challenges of screening in rural AN populations, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Author(s): Christie A. Flanagan, Lila J. Finney Rutten, John B. Kisiel, et al.
Citation: Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 30, 101016
Date: 12/2022
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Barriers and Facilitators for Low-Dose Computed Tomography Lung Cancer Screening in Rural Populations in the United States: A Scoping Review Protocol
Describes a scoping review methodology to research rural health disparities related to low-dose computed tomography lung cancer screenings in rural areas of the United States.
Author(s): Michelle Palokas, Elizabeth Hinton, Roy Duhe, et al.
Citation: JBI Evidence Synthesis, 20(11), 2727-2733
Date: 11/2022
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Streamlining Research Access
Features an interview with Per Ostmo, Program Director of the Rural Health Research Gateway. Discusses the mission of the Gateway and highlights some of the research projects rural health research centers (RHRCs) have undertaken. Highlights some challenges facing rural healthcare delivery and points to some conclusions drawn from RHRC research.
Date: 11/2022
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Physician Publishing, Inc.
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Active vs Traditional Methods of Recruiting Children for a Clinical Trial in Rural Primary Care Clinics: A Cluster-Randomized Clinical Trial
Discusses the effectiveness of active recruitment versus traditional recruitment for enrolling rural youth with overweight or obesity in a group behavioral telehealth intervention. Compares the use of direct engagement with pediatric patients at a clinic against the posting of flyers at a clinic and utilizing social media and press releases, with recruiting beginning in February 2020.
Author(s): Paul M. Darden II, Ann M. Davis, Jeannette Y. Lee, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 5(11), e2244040
Date: 11/2022
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A Scoping Review of Applications of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to Telehealth Service Implementation Initiatives
A scoping review of the literature examining the application of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) relating to telehealth implementation initiatives. Searches 5 academic databases from 2010 to 2021 to review 64 peer-reviewed articles discussing CFIR and telehealth implementation initiatives. Includes articles that discuss telehealth implementation in rural and tribal areas.
Author(s): Pavani Rangachari, Swapandeep S. Mushiana, Krista Herbert
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 22, 1450
Date: 11/2022
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Measuring Rurality in Health Services Research: A Scoping Review
Analyzes peer-reviewed journals between 2010 and 2020 to provide a scoping review of the different methods of rurality defined and used in health services research. Examines 103 full-text studies across various journals to observe different measures of rurality. Includes discussion about the benefits and drawbacks of the respective measures of rurality and how inconsistent use of measures impacts federal funding and the study of rural health disparities.
Author(s): Robin Danek, Justin Blackburn, Marion Greene, Olena Mazurenko, Nir Menachemi
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 22, 1340
Date: 11/2022
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Adaptation and Study Protocol of the Evidence-based Make Better Choices (Mbc2) Multiple Diet and Activity Change Intervention for a Rural Appalachian Population
Details the development of the Make Better Choices 2 (MBC2) mHealth diet and activity randomized trial and how it is being adapted for rural Appalachia. Outlines the adaptation process conducted in Appalachian Kentucky and subsequent revisions to the recruitment, retention, assessment, and intervention components of the study. Discusses the need for culturally appropriate research to reach underserved populations and achieve health equity.
Author(s): Nancy E. Schoenberg, Deanna Sherman, Angela Fidler Pfammatter, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 22, 2043
Date: 11/2022
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The Negative Effect of Differential Privacy and Synthetic Data from the U.S. Census Bureau on Rural Health and Communities
Policy brief discussing how changes to U.S. Census Bureau data collection to protect privacy could impact the use of this data to understand population dynamics and health among rural and racial and ethnic minority populations. Offers policy recommendations for the U.S. Census Bureau.
Author(s): Whitney Zahnd
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Data Equity in American Indian/Alaska Native Populations: Respecting Sovereign Nations' Right to Meaningful and Usable COVID-19 Data
Perspective piece describing concerns related to data collection, equity, and public health planning for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities following the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses data collection during the pandemic and emerging studies that utilize AI/AN data, noting concerns about control of data.
Author(s): Vickie M. Mays, Abigail Echo-Hawk, Susan D. Cochran, Randall Akee
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 112(10), 1416-1420
Date: 09/2022
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