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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Hospitals' Electronic Access to Information Needed to Treat COVID-19
Explores acute care hospitals' ability to access electronic access to information necessary to treat COVID-19 patients in 2021. Examines differences in information availability by hospital characteristics, including rurality and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) status, and engagement in interoperable exchange.
Author(s): Chelsea Richwine, Jordan Everson, Vaishali Patel
Citation: JAMIA Open, 6(4)
Date: 12/2023
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Geographic Variations in Driving Time to U.S. Mental Health Care, Digital Access to Technology, & Household Crowdedness
Evaluated distance to mental health services, household crowdedness, and access to technology and broadband alongside rurality to determine barriers to mental healthcare for both rural and urban residents in 31,924 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs). Discusses implications for telehealth and policy measures addressing the digital divide.
Author(s): Sophia N.D. Negaro, Rachel M. Hantman, Janice C. Probst, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 1(6)
Date: 12/2023
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Participation in a Medicare Advanced Primary Care Model and the Delivery of High-Value Services
Examines if participation in the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus Initiative (CPC+) impacted the high-value services delivered by primary care providers. Utilizes multiple national data sets to estimate the association of CPC+ and services such as annual wellness visits (AWVs), advance care planning (ACP), flu shots, tobacco prevention counseling, and depression screening. Provides data on intervention groups and comparison groups by patient demographics as well as provider demographics, specialty, and location, including urban, large rural, small rural, and isolated rural.
Author(s): Fang He, Angela Gasdaska, Lindsay White, Yan Tang, Chris Beadles
Citation: Health Services Research, 58(6), 1266-1291
Date: 12/2023
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Veterans With Blood Cancers: Clinical Trial Navigation and the Challenge of Rurality
Presents a study on the geographic barriers to accessing cancer trials faced by rural veterans. Explored the availability of cancer trials based on rurality and highlights clinical trial deserts. Breaks down demographic data by sex, cancer type, and rurality, among other measures.
Author(s): Daphne R. Friedman, Thomas D. Rodgers, Courtney Kovalick, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 40(1), 114-120
Date: 12/2023
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Defining the Clinical and Procedural Opportunities Available to Residents During Rural Rotations
Results of a study to determine the rate at which emergency medicine residents at a large academic hospital in Minnesota were exposed to certain clinical and procedural experiences (CPEs) while on rural rotations, compared with their usual academic training hospital. Features patient demographics and statistics on CPEs with breakdowns by rural emergency department (ED) patients and academic ED patients.
Author(s): Brandon Haefke, Daniel Scholz, James Homme, Derick Jones
Citation: Academic Emergency Medicine Education and Training, 7(6), e10922
Date: 11/2023
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Temporal Trends in Telehealth Availability in Mental Health Treatment Settings: Differences in Growth by State Rurality, 2015–2020
Analyzes trends in telehealth availability at outpatient mental health treatment facilities by rurality and urbanicity at the state level. Utilizes 2015-2020 National Mental Health Services Survey data to evaluate growth preceding and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Author(s): George Pro, Brian Fairman, Jure Baloh, Don Willis, Broome E.E. Montgomery
Citation: Journal of Urban Health, 100(6), 1149-1158
Date: 11/2023
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Follicular DNA Damage and Pesticide Exposure Among Latinx Children in Rural and Urban Communities
Examines DNA double-strand breaks as an aspect of pesticide exposure among 30 Latinx children from rural, farmworker families and 15 children from urban, non-farmworker families in North Carolina, utilizing a minimally-invasive data collection method utilizing hair follicle samples and silicon wristbands. Provides data on rural-urban disparities in pesticide exposure, outside play, and use of sun protection among study participants, with additional data on seasonal variation.
Author(s): Cassandra Lepetit, Mohamed Gaber, Ke Zhou, et al.
Citation: Exposure and Health, 16, 1039-1052
Date: 11/2023
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2023 Indiana Family Medicine Residencies Exit Survey Report
Results of a survey of 114 final-year residents from the 14 Indiana Family Medicine residency programs, to determine what they plan to do after graduation and where they plan to practice. Includes feedback on the residents' training and their programs' curricula, as well as suggestions for improvement. Mentions rural and underserved populations throughout.
Author(s): Komal Kochhar, Monling Ho
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Indiana University School of Medicine
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Housing America's Older Adults 2023
Provides an overview of demographics and housing needs of older adults in the U.S. Discusses affordable and accessible housing that allows for the appropriate level of care. Includes rural versus urban data comparisons of the aging population and housing issues specific to rural areas.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University
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Management of Fall Risk Among Older Adults in Diverse Primary Care Settings
Discusses fall prevention resources integrated into sustainable computerized clinical decision support (CCDS) technology to support urban and rural primary care staff working with older adults. Provides feedback from 24 staff regarding fall risk factors, prevention strategies, patient-provider communication, available resources and training, and more.
Author(s): Kristen Shear, Hannah Rice, Pamela M. Garabedian, et al.
Citation: Journal of Applied Gerontology, 42(11), 2219-2232
Date: 11/2023
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