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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

New Resource Webinar: CRC Screening in Rural Communities Best Practices Guidebook
Webinar introducing the ACS NCCRT Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Screening in Rural Communities Best Practices Guidebook. Includes an overview of CRC disparities in rural communities and offers guidance for organizations working to improve CRC screening rates in their communities. Highlights successes of CRC screening programs in Alaska and Arizona administered by the Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation and Mariposa Community Health Center.
Additional links: Colorectal Cancer Screening in Rural Communities Best Practices Guidebook, Presentation Slides
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Cancer Society National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (ACS NCCRT)
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Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screening in Rural Communities: A Practical Guide
Provides an overview of rural colorectal cancer (CRC) disparities and guidance for community organizations on improving CRC screening in rural areas. Includes recommendations related to recognizing and addressing barriers to screening, organizational planning and strategy, service delivery models, and more.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Cancer Society National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (ACS NCCRT)
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Complementary and Integrative Health Therapies and Pain: Delivery Through Veterans Affairs and Community Care
Compares the effectiveness of the delivery of acupuncture, chiropractic, and medical massage therapy services between Department of Veterans Affairs providers and community care providers at relieving chronic pain for veterans. Includes a patient characteristics break down by rurality and more. Discusses the importance of continued research on access to healthcare for rural veterans.
Author(s): Collin Calvert, Stephanie L. Taylor, Juli Olson, et al.
Citation: Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health, 14
Date: 07/2025
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Spatial Accessibility of Substance Use Disorder Treatment Programs, Compared with Other Health Care Facilities, in New York State, 2024
Examines spatial accessibility to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment in New York State. Analyzes one-way travel time as well as the difference in travel between the closest and fifth closest facility. Includes maps comparing travel time to SUD treatment to other healthcare facilities in rural and urban areas of New York State.
Author(s): Marcus A. Bachhuber, Chinazo O. Cunningham, Pat Lincourt, Ashly E. Jordan
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 20, 60
Date: 07/2025
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Variation, Overlap, and Stability in Defining Safety Net Hospitals
Results of a study examining the extent to which safety net hospitals overlap, change over time, and represent similar types of healthcare facilities. Features statistics with breakdowns including rural location and Critical Access Hospital designation.
Author(s): Paula Chatterjee, Joshua M. Liao, Kano Amagai, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(7), e2523923
Date: 07/2025
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Metropolitan/Nonmetropolitan Differences of the Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Survivors' Care
Examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care in metro and nonmetro locations. Utilizes 2021 Health Information National Trends-Surveillance Epidemiology End Results (HINTS-SEER) data from cancer survivors regarding their routine cancer screening, preventive care, treatment, and follow-up appointments.
Author(s): Whitney E. Zahnd, Jason T. Semprini, Robin C. Vanderpool, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(3)
Date: 07/2025
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Is Rural Residence an Independent Risk Factor for Spontaneous Preterm Birth at a Midwestern Tertiary Care Center? A Cross-Sectional Study
Examines the correlation between rural residence and spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB). Analyzes 16,974 deliveries among 13,339 women at a Midwest tertiary care center according to patient demographics, gestational age, insurance status, health status and behaviors, and rural versus urban location. Discusses rurality as a variable and potential causes for the correlation to sPTB.
Author(s): Abbie Lund, Barcey T. Levy, Yinghui Xu, David A. Bedell, Mark K. Santillan
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 16
Date: 07/2025
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COVID-19 Risk Stratification among Older Adults: A Machine Learning Approach to Identify Personal and Health-Related Risk Factors
Examines risk perceptions and health behaviors related to COVID-19 to create a predictive model to classify individuals into risk categories. Analyzes individual features such as demographic variables, health conditions, adherence to public health guidelines, health literacy, and urbanicity.
Author(s): Arezoo Abasi, Seyed Abbas Motevalian, Haleh Ayatollahi
Citation: BMC Public Health 25, 2577
Date: 07/2025
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Palliative Care and Caregiving in the Midwest, Metro and Nonmetro Geographies: Insights from HINTS 2024
Examines characteristics of palliative caregiving in the Midwest. Utilizes 2024 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) data to provide metro versus nonmetro breakdowns on the health of caregivers, knowledge about and perspectives on palliative care, person being cared for, and more.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Evaluating the Implementation of Maternal Safety Bundles for Obstetric Hemorrhage and Severe Hypertension During Pregnancy in Arkansas
Examines the impact of maternal safety bundles to improve outcomes for patients with obstetric hemorrhage and maternal hypertension. Analyzes safety bundle implementation in 37 Arkansas hospitals, with breakdowns according to hospital characteristics such as hospital size and type, number of beds, number of maternal healthcare professionals, rural versus urban region, and more.
Author(s): Cheng Peng, Mahip Acharya, Batool Khattab, et al.
Citation: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 25, 793
Date: 07/2025
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