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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

FH Healthcare Indicators and FH Medical Price Index 2025: An Annual View of Place of Service Trends and Medical Pricing
White paper exploring changes in healthcare utilization, demographic and geographic factors, diagnoses, costs, and procedures. Features statistics including usage of retail clinics and telehealth from 2018-2023; and urgent care, ambulatory surgery centers, and emergency rooms from 2014-2024. Includes comparisons of utilization of each service type by urban and rural location.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: FAIR Health
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Comparative Effectiveness of Buprenorphine Adherence with Telemedicine Versus In-Person for Rural and Urban Patients
Compares adherence to buprenorphine for opioid use disorder in telemedicine versus in-person healthcare in rural and urban populations. Utilizes 2017–2022 data from 511 adults and compares 3,302 in-person and 519 telemedicine visits, with breakdowns according to patient characteristics, adherence, gaps in treatment, and rural versus urban location. Discusses changing legislative requirements related to buprenorphine treatment and the potential impact on rural populations.
Author(s): Thomas J. Reese, Nana Addo Padi-Adjirackor, Kevin N. Griffith, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 65(2), 102318
Date: 03/2025
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Transportation Issues Affecting Independent Grocers and Fresh Food Distribution: A Comparison Study of Rural and Urban Communities in the US
Examines the factors impacting fresh food distribution by independent grocers in rural and urban areas of the United States. Discusses food access, transportation concerns, roadways, logistics, markets, and more. Includes a profile of the northernmost rural counties in Wisconsin.
Author(s): Michelle Miller, Aichih (Jasmine) Chang, Regina Hirsch, Jim (Junmin) Shi, David Long
Date: 03/2025
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Improving HPV Vaccine Coverage in Tennessee: Addressing Barriers and Expanding Access for Mid-Adults
Examines barriers to achieving optimal human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination uptake in the rural South. Analyzes HPV vaccination rates in Tennessee according to insurance status and rural versus urban location. Discusses cancer prevention and interventions to improve education, awareness, access, and vaccination uptake among rural and uninsured populations.
Author(s): Donald J. Alcendor, Patricia Matthews-Juarez, Mohammad Tabatabai, et al.
Citation: Pathogens, 14(4), 311
Date: 03/2025
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Rural Pennsylvania Shows Slight Population Decline but Attracts Out-of-State Residents
Presents detailed population trends at the county level for Pennsylvania and the rest of the United States. Features county-level maps showing percent change in population by Pennsylvania county from 2020 to 2024, change in net domestic and international migration, and statistics on domestic and international migration in urban and rural areas of Pennsylvania in these years.
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
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Kansas Infant Mortality and Stillbirth Report, 2023
Reports on infant mortality rates and the number of deaths across Kansas. Includes data and statistics, with information broken down by county and rural/urban classification.
Author(s): Janet K. Stanek, Ashley Goss, Kay Haug, Inkyung Cha
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Kansas Department of Health and Environment
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Newly Reported Chronic Hepatitis C Among Adults — Alaska, 2016–2023
Reports on changes in the annual average rate of newly reported adult chronic hepatitis C cases during 2016–2023 in Alaska. Includes rate data for 2016-2019 compared to 2020-2023 for urban, rural, and remote areas.
Author(s): Heather M. Scobie, Jamie Allison, Nicholas Masters, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 74(10), 161-166
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Minnesota Population Declines while Households Increase
Provides county-level data on urban/city, change in households and populations since 1970, and household size. Includes breakdowns according to location: Hennepin and Ramsey, suburban/greater Minnesota urban, urban/town/rural mix, entirely rural or town/rural mix-recreational, town/rural mix, or entirely rural.
Author(s): Kelly Asche
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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Home Healthcare Establishments Serving Rural Areas Increased about 36 Percent from 2010 to 2023
Chart showing the change for home healthcare services, assisted living facilities, and skilled nursing facilities in nonmetropolitan areas between 2010 and 2023.
Author(s): Brandon Genetin
Date: 03/2025
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Rural–Urban Differences in Substance Use During Pregnancy
Examines perinatal substance use in rural and urban populations. Utilizes 2015-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data to analyze 3,499 pregnant women according to rural, small urban, and large urban location, as well as by demographic variables, health status, and type of substance use.
Author(s): Emma Kathryn Boswell, Olivia M. Hinds, Cassie Odahowski, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(2)
Date: 03/2025
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