Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences
The Golden Hour Is Elusive in Rural Trauma: A 10-year Analysis from a Level I Trauma Center in Montana
Analyzed 4,213 trauma patients between 2012 and 2022 at a Level 1 trauma facility in Montana to determine whether trauma transfer patterns and rurality impacted outcomes. Discusses the goal of offering definitive care within 1 hour of injury and the impact of workforce shortages in rural areas.
Author(s): Jung G. Min, Maggie Smith, Michael S. Englehart, et al.
Citation: The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 103, 127-131
Date: 05/2026
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Analyzed 4,213 trauma patients between 2012 and 2022 at a Level 1 trauma facility in Montana to determine whether trauma transfer patterns and rurality impacted outcomes. Discusses the goal of offering definitive care within 1 hour of injury and the impact of workforce shortages in rural areas.
Author(s): Jung G. Min, Maggie Smith, Michael S. Englehart, et al.
Citation: The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 103, 127-131
Date: 05/2026
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Mapping Spatial and Social Inequities of Long COVID Across the United States: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Examines spatiotemporal variables and social determinants as correlated with the Omicron variant and long COVID health risk. Analyzes 5,652,474 COVID-19 cases and 41,694 long COVID cases according to year, location, U.S. region, risk level of county, and social determinants, including rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Zhetao Chen, Bingnan Lib, Yewen Chen, et al.
Citation: The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, 56, 101401
Date: 04/2026
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Examines spatiotemporal variables and social determinants as correlated with the Omicron variant and long COVID health risk. Analyzes 5,652,474 COVID-19 cases and 41,694 long COVID cases according to year, location, U.S. region, risk level of county, and social determinants, including rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Zhetao Chen, Bingnan Lib, Yewen Chen, et al.
Citation: The Lancet Regional Health – Americas, 56, 101401
Date: 04/2026
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Health Insurance Coverage in Rural and Urban Missouri: Update
Reports on 2024 health insurance coverage in Missouri, comparing both rural and urban residents within the state and against national averages. Includes analysis of health insurance type, by age groups, and changes since 2023.
Author(s): Sarah A. Eisenstein, Timothy D. McBride
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Washington University in St. Louis Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy & Economics Research
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Reports on 2024 health insurance coverage in Missouri, comparing both rural and urban residents within the state and against national averages. Includes analysis of health insurance type, by age groups, and changes since 2023.
Author(s): Sarah A. Eisenstein, Timothy D. McBride
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Washington University in St. Louis Center for Advancing Health Services, Policy & Economics Research
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Trends in Cancer-and Respiratory Failure-Related Mortality in the US Adult Population: An Analysis of the CDC WONDER Database from 1999 to 2023
Examines how trends in respiratory failure-associated mortality among adults with cancer differ by rurality, state, age, sex, and other demographics, using 1999-2023 CDC WONDER data.
Author(s): Chengchi Xia, Tianshu Rong, Baoqing Wang
Citation: Frontiers in Cancer Control and Society, 4
Date: 03/2026
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Examines how trends in respiratory failure-associated mortality among adults with cancer differ by rurality, state, age, sex, and other demographics, using 1999-2023 CDC WONDER data.
Author(s): Chengchi Xia, Tianshu Rong, Baoqing Wang
Citation: Frontiers in Cancer Control and Society, 4
Date: 03/2026
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Rural Specialty Care for Veterans with the Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions: Fibromyalgia, Migraine, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Presents a study on rural veterans' access to specialty care for chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs), such as fibromyalgia, migraine, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Explores the role of rural residence and primary care site access plays in veterans' ability to receive specialty care for COPCs. Breaks down data by patient characteristics, chronic pain conditions, care site, and provider type, among other factors.
Author(s): Katherine Hadlandsmyth, Mary A. Driscoll, Jenna L. Adamowicz, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70132
Date: 03/2026
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Presents a study on rural veterans' access to specialty care for chronic overlapping pain conditions (COPCs), such as fibromyalgia, migraine, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Explores the role of rural residence and primary care site access plays in veterans' ability to receive specialty care for COPCs. Breaks down data by patient characteristics, chronic pain conditions, care site, and provider type, among other factors.
Author(s): Katherine Hadlandsmyth, Mary A. Driscoll, Jenna L. Adamowicz, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70132
Date: 03/2026
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The State of Rural Minnesota: 2026
Presents an overview of rural Minnesota. Includes interactive county-level data and statistics on population migration, economic vitality, employment, income, demographics, rural versus urban comparisons, and more.
Additional links: Summary Presentation
Author(s): Kelly Asche, Marnie Werner
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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Presents an overview of rural Minnesota. Includes interactive county-level data and statistics on population migration, economic vitality, employment, income, demographics, rural versus urban comparisons, and more.
Additional links: Summary Presentation
Author(s): Kelly Asche, Marnie Werner
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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Rural America's Philanthropic Sector: Grantmaking and The Role of Philanthropy in Rural Communities
Discusses philanthropy in rural and urban communities including the geographic distribution of philanthropic organizations, types of organizations, and topic areas of giving. Includes maps and charts highlighting key study findings.
Additional links: The Geography of Rural America's Philanthropic Sector
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: USDA Rural Development
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Discusses philanthropy in rural and urban communities including the geographic distribution of philanthropic organizations, types of organizations, and topic areas of giving. Includes maps and charts highlighting key study findings.
Additional links: The Geography of Rural America's Philanthropic Sector
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: USDA Rural Development
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy: Skilled Nursing Facility Services: Chapter 7
Discusses payment adequacy for skilled nursing facility (SNF) services. Features statistics on SNF care provided by rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) via swing beds and Medicare margins for urban, rural, and frontier freestanding SNFs in 2024.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Discusses payment adequacy for skilled nursing facility (SNF) services. Features statistics on SNF care provided by rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) via swing beds and Medicare margins for urban, rural, and frontier freestanding SNFs in 2024.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy: Home Health Care Services: Chapter 8
Discusses payment adequacy for home health care services. Features statistics on Medicare margins for home health agencies between 2019-2024 with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, rates of successful discharge and potentially preventable readmissions in urban and rural areas, and the number of home health periods provided to rural beneficiaries.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Discusses payment adequacy for home health care services. Features statistics on Medicare margins for home health agencies between 2019-2024 with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, rates of successful discharge and potentially preventable readmissions in urban and rural areas, and the number of home health periods provided to rural beneficiaries.
Date: 03/2026
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy: Hospice Services: Chapter 10
Discusses payment adequacy for hospice and palliative support services. Includes data on average costs by day and aggregate margins by urban and rural status, as well as demographics on Medicare decedents who used hospice during 2010 and between 2019-2024. Compares the actual hospice utilization rates in micropolitan, rural adjacent, rural nonadjacent, and frontier areas to urban hospice utilization rates.
Date: 03/2026
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Discusses payment adequacy for hospice and palliative support services. Includes data on average costs by day and aggregate margins by urban and rural status, as well as demographics on Medicare decedents who used hospice during 2010 and between 2019-2024. Compares the actual hospice utilization rates in micropolitan, rural adjacent, rural nonadjacent, and frontier areas to urban hospice utilization rates.
Date: 03/2026
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