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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Understanding the Impact of Suicide In Rural America
Analyzes suicide rates and the impact of suicide in rural areas, highlights suicide in tribal communities and suicide prevention among U.S. veterans. Covers state and federal prevention strategies and discusses recommendations for research and evaluation, and outreach, promotion, and awareness.
Date: 12/2017
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Chartbook: Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities in a Changing Kansas
Examines trends in demographics, the social determinants of health, and health outcomes in Kansas. Includes statistics and data with a rural versus urban comparison on: population characteristics; education; income, employment, and insurance; housing and household characteristics; nutrition, physical activity, and related outcomes; substance use; healthcare and preventive services; disease and disability; births; and mortality.
Additional links: Appendix A. Population Characteristics, Appendix B. Education, Appendix C. Income, Employment, and Insurance, Appendix D. Housing and Housing Characteristics, Appendix E. Disease and Disability, Appendix F. Births, Appendix G: Mortality, Appendix H: Technical Notes
Author(s): Lawrence John Panas
Date: 12/2017
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Health Institute
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Overview of Operating Room Procedures During Inpatient Stays in U.S. Hospitals, 2014
Examines the characteristics, costs, and volume of operating room (OR) procedures in the inpatient setting, presenting data from U.S. hospitals in 2014. Includes a breakdown of inpatient stays with and without OR procedures, based upon metro or nonmetro (rural) patient residence.
Author(s): Kimberly W. McDermott, William J. Freeman, Anne Elixhauser
Date: 12/2017
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Rural Health Research Recap: Rural Hospital Closures
Summarizes key findings from the Rural Health Research Centers' most recent research on rural hospital closures. Discusses hospitals by U.S. census region, rural hospital closures between 2005 and 2017, urban and rural hospital profitability, and the financial distress index. Provides links to each of the referenced source documents.
Author(s): Shawnda Schroeder
Date: 12/2017
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
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Rural Households Account for Nearly One-fifth of U.S. Food-Insecure Households
Pie chart showing the proportion of food insecure households in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas in 2016.
Date: 12/2017
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Mortality Rates Have Increased for Working-age Rural Adults Since 2000
Line chart showing the change in mortality rates for nonmetropolitan and metropolitan residents, comparing 3-year averages for 1999-2001 and 2013-2015. Data is presented by age group.
Date: 12/2017
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Characteristics of Inpatient Stays Involving Hepatitis C, 2005-2014
Examines adult hospitalizations involving hepatitis C in 2014. Includes data by age group for hepatitis C inpatient stays for metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore (rural) areas.
Author(s): Quyen Ngo-Metzger, Iris Mabry-Hernandez, Kevin C. Heslin, et al.
Date: 12/2017
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Behavioral, Mental, and Physical Health Characteristics and Opioid Medication Misuse among Community Pharmacy Patients: A Latent Class Analysis
Study of opioid misuse risk factors based on mental, behavioral, and physical health characteristics for patients in 2 rural and 2 urban Pennsylvania counties. Uses latent class analysis methodology to identify combinations of indicators that may be visible to pharmacists and that may suggest increased risk of opioid misuse, including age, employment, whether a pharmacy is in a rural area, and education level.
Author(s): Gerald Cochran, Valerie Hruschak, Jennifer L. Bacci, Kenneth C. Hohmeier, Ralph Tarter
Citation: Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 13(6), 1055-1061
Date: 11/2017
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Infrequent Provision of Palliative Care to Patients with Dialysis-Requiring AKI
Explores the use of palliative care among patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) who require dialysis. Examines data contained in the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 44 states and over 4,000 hospitals. Compares palliative care use across different comorbidities, patient demographics, and hospital types, including urban and rural hospitals.
Author(s): Kelly Chong, Samuel A. Silver, Jin Long, et al.
Citation: Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, 12(11), 1744-1752
Date: 11/2017
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Worsening Rural-Urban Gap in Hospital Mortality
Results of a study of nonmaternal, nonneonatal hospitalizations in 2008 and 2013, showing the association between rural or urban residence and hospital mortality. Features statistics on hospital mortality by condition in 2013 and hospital deaths among rural patients by year and payer status.
Author(s): Nicole Villapiano, Theodore J. Iwashyna, Matthew M. Davis
Citation: Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 30(6), 816-823
Date: 11/2017
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