Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences
Trends in Mean Age of Mothers: United States, 2016–2023
Examines trends in maternal age at the time of first birth, second birth, and third birth and higher, as well as by mother's demographics and urbanicity. Utilizes 2016–2023 National Vital Statistics System data to provide the mean maternal age with urbanicity breakdowns according to noncore (nonmetropolitan), micropolitan (nonmetropolitan), small metropolitan, medium metropolitan, large fringe metropolitan, and large central metropolitan.
Author(s): Andrea D. Brown, Brady E. Hamilton, Dmitry M. Kissin, Joyce A. Martin
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Examines trends in maternal age at the time of first birth, second birth, and third birth and higher, as well as by mother's demographics and urbanicity. Utilizes 2016–2023 National Vital Statistics System data to provide the mean maternal age with urbanicity breakdowns according to noncore (nonmetropolitan), micropolitan (nonmetropolitan), small metropolitan, medium metropolitan, large fringe metropolitan, and large central metropolitan.
Author(s): Andrea D. Brown, Brady E. Hamilton, Dmitry M. Kissin, Joyce A. Martin
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Health Care Use Preceding Suicide by Firearm Compared with Suicide by Other Means — Alaska, Colorado, and Washington, 2020–2022
Discusses use of healthcare services, including mental health services, in the year prior to suicide for those who died by firearm versus other means, based on data from three healthcare organizations in Alaska, Colorado, and Washington. Includes the number of suicides by location of residence for rural, suburban, and urban areas.
Author(s): Julie E. Angerhofer, Maricela Cruz, Jennifer Shaw, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 74(21), 365-371
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Discusses use of healthcare services, including mental health services, in the year prior to suicide for those who died by firearm versus other means, based on data from three healthcare organizations in Alaska, Colorado, and Washington. Includes the number of suicides by location of residence for rural, suburban, and urban areas.
Author(s): Julie E. Angerhofer, Maricela Cruz, Jennifer Shaw, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 74(21), 365-371
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Key Facts About Medicare Beneficiaries in Rural Areas
Presents information and data about rural Medicare beneficiaries, including demographic and health characteristics, access to healthcare, and satisfaction with care. Compares data on beneficiaries living in urban areas, rural areas adjacent to an urban area, and rural areas not adjacent to an urban area.
Author(s): Nancy Ochieng, Alex Cottrill, Juliette Cubanski, Tricia Neuman
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Presents information and data about rural Medicare beneficiaries, including demographic and health characteristics, access to healthcare, and satisfaction with care. Compares data on beneficiaries living in urban areas, rural areas adjacent to an urban area, and rural areas not adjacent to an urban area.
Author(s): Nancy Ochieng, Alex Cottrill, Juliette Cubanski, Tricia Neuman
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System, June 2025
Evaluates Medicare payment issues and provides recommendations to the U.S. Congress. Covers proposed reforms to the physician fee schedule updates and the accuracy of relative payment rates; supplemental benefits in Medicare Advantage; home healthcare use among Medicare Advantage enrollees; Part D prescription drug plans for beneficiaries in fee-for-service Medicare and Medicare Advantage; Medicare beneficiaries in nursing homes; the inclusion of rural providers in current Medicare fee-for-service quality reporting programs; and recommendations related to reducing beneficiary cost sharing for outpatient services at Critical Access Hospitals. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Evaluates Medicare payment issues and provides recommendations to the U.S. Congress. Covers proposed reforms to the physician fee schedule updates and the accuracy of relative payment rates; supplemental benefits in Medicare Advantage; home healthcare use among Medicare Advantage enrollees; Part D prescription drug plans for beneficiaries in fee-for-service Medicare and Medicare Advantage; Medicare beneficiaries in nursing homes; the inclusion of rural providers in current Medicare fee-for-service quality reporting programs; and recommendations related to reducing beneficiary cost sharing for outpatient services at Critical Access Hospitals. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Young Adult Perspectives on Deciding to Get Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination in Urban and Rural Communities: A Qualitative Research Study
Examines perspectives of young adults aged 18 to 21 on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Utilizes interview feedback from 56 young adults in rural Wisconsin and urban Minnesota about HPV vaccine decision making, vaccine acceptance and hesitancy, concerns about the vaccine, trust in healthcare professionals, and more.
Author(s): Maria E. Sundaram, Ben Christianson, Oluwakemi D. Alonge, et al.
Citation: Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 21(1), 2508572
Date: 06/2025
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Examines perspectives of young adults aged 18 to 21 on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. Utilizes interview feedback from 56 young adults in rural Wisconsin and urban Minnesota about HPV vaccine decision making, vaccine acceptance and hesitancy, concerns about the vaccine, trust in healthcare professionals, and more.
Author(s): Maria E. Sundaram, Ben Christianson, Oluwakemi D. Alonge, et al.
Citation: Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 21(1), 2508572
Date: 06/2025
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Addendum to HCUP Statistical Brief #308: Rural and Urban Hospital Differences in Inpatient Stays Involving Sepsis, 2019 and 2021, Addition of 2022 Data
Explores inpatient hospital stays related to sepsis using the 2019 and 2022 State Inpatient Databases (SID) for 47 States and the District of Columbia. Presents data on the percentage of stays related to sepsis, lengths of stay, costs of stay, and outcomes for sepsis stays for over 4,200 community hospitals. Compares data for rural and urban hospitals by ownership, bed size, teaching hospital status, and safety net designation. Updates an August 2024 report to include data for 2022.
Author(s): Joanna Jiang, Lan Liang, Meghana Chandra, Sai Loganathan
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Explores inpatient hospital stays related to sepsis using the 2019 and 2022 State Inpatient Databases (SID) for 47 States and the District of Columbia. Presents data on the percentage of stays related to sepsis, lengths of stay, costs of stay, and outcomes for sepsis stays for over 4,200 community hospitals. Compares data for rural and urban hospitals by ownership, bed size, teaching hospital status, and safety net designation. Updates an August 2024 report to include data for 2022.
Author(s): Joanna Jiang, Lan Liang, Meghana Chandra, Sai Loganathan
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Addendum to HCUP Statistical Brief #309: Racial and Ethnic Differences in Inpatient Stays Involving Sepsis, 2016–2021, Addition of 2022 Data
Offers national statistics on inpatient hospital stays involving sepsis by race and ethnicity. Discusses trends over time, comorbidities, mortality, and more. Table 1 includes data by rural or urban residence, among other measures. Updates an August 2024 report to include data for 2022.
Author(s): Melissa A. Miller, Kimberly Martin, Molly Hensche, Carrie Goetsch
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Offers national statistics on inpatient hospital stays involving sepsis by race and ethnicity. Discusses trends over time, comorbidities, mortality, and more. Table 1 includes data by rural or urban residence, among other measures. Updates an August 2024 report to include data for 2022.
Author(s): Melissa A. Miller, Kimberly Martin, Molly Hensche, Carrie Goetsch
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Payment Source Shift for Surgical Care Among Veterans Enrolled in Medicare Advantage Plans
Examines the likelihood of veterans enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to shift payments for inpatient surgical care from MA to the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Analyzes 54,754 inpatient surgeries of VHA enrollees to observe payment trends, with data broken down by demographics, insurance characteristics, region, and rurality.
Author(s): Winta T. Mehtsun, Yanlei Ma, Ellen Latsko, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 6(6)
Date: 06/2025
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Examines the likelihood of veterans enrolled in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to shift payments for inpatient surgical care from MA to the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Analyzes 54,754 inpatient surgeries of VHA enrollees to observe payment trends, with data broken down by demographics, insurance characteristics, region, and rurality.
Author(s): Winta T. Mehtsun, Yanlei Ma, Ellen Latsko, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 6(6)
Date: 06/2025
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Primary Care Practices' Choice of Implementation Strategy for Continuous Glucose Monitoring for Patients with Diabetes: A Multiple Methods Study Within a Larger Hybrid Type-3 Effectiveness-Implementation Study
Examines characteristics of primary care (PC) practices that utilize either a self-paced or virtual continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) implementation service. Provides feedback on CGM implementation from 76 PC practices in Colorado as well as characteristics of those practices. Compares metro versus nonmetro PC utilization of two CGM services: the self-paced American Academy of Family Physicians Transformation in Practice Series (TIPS) service or the virtual CGM initiation service (virCIS).
Author(s): Kimberly T. Wiggins, Tristen L. Hall, Bonnie Jortberg, et al.
Citation: BMC Primary Care, 26, 195
Date: 06/2025
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Examines characteristics of primary care (PC) practices that utilize either a self-paced or virtual continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) implementation service. Provides feedback on CGM implementation from 76 PC practices in Colorado as well as characteristics of those practices. Compares metro versus nonmetro PC utilization of two CGM services: the self-paced American Academy of Family Physicians Transformation in Practice Series (TIPS) service or the virtual CGM initiation service (virCIS).
Author(s): Kimberly T. Wiggins, Tristen L. Hall, Bonnie Jortberg, et al.
Citation: BMC Primary Care, 26, 195
Date: 06/2025
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Pharmacy Deserts in Rural Pennsylvania
Describes the landscape of pharmacies and pharmacists in Pennsylvania as of May 2025 and examines the projected impact of Rite Aid pharmacy closures. Features statistics on numbers of pharmacies and pharmacists, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, and county-level maps showing areas within a 5-mile radius of all pharmacies and all non-Rite Aid pharmacies, with shadings showing urban and rural areas.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Describes the landscape of pharmacies and pharmacists in Pennsylvania as of May 2025 and examines the projected impact of Rite Aid pharmacy closures. Features statistics on numbers of pharmacies and pharmacists, with breakdowns by urban and rural areas, and county-level maps showing areas within a 5-mile radius of all pharmacies and all non-Rite Aid pharmacies, with shadings showing urban and rural areas.
Date: 06/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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