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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Declines in Telemedicine Use Among Adults: United States, 2021 and 2022
Examines changes in telemedicine use by adults between 2021 and 2022. Analyzes data by various sociodemographic characteristics, Census Bureau region, and level of urbanization.
Author(s): Jacqueline W. Lucas, Xun Wang
Date: 06/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Physician Assistants/Associates in Psychiatry: A Workforce Analysis
Examines U.S. physician assistants (PAs) practicing in psychiatry with comparisons to PAs practicing in other specialties. Utilizes National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) data to analyze the PA workforce according to growth in the field since 2013, median income, job satisfaction, and demographics, including sex, ethnicity, languages used, age, and rural versus urban practice setting.
Author(s): Mirela Bruza-Augatis, Andrzej Kozikowski, Roderick S. Hooker, Kasey Puckett
Citation: Human Resources for Health, 22(40)
Date: 06/2024
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Decisions to Practice in Rural Areas Among Mental Health Care Professionals
Research letter describing a study examining factors associated with mental health professionals' decisions to practice in rural areas and whether those factors differ by professional type. Uses data from Minnesota's health licensing boards and a survey of active Minnesota healthcare professionals collected from 2022-2023. Features statistics with breakdowns by provider type and rural or urban location.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Teri Fritsma, Andrew P.J. Olson, Selam Woldegerima, Hannah MacDougall
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(6), e2421285
Date: 06/2024
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Computer and Internet Use in the United States: 2021
Analyzes both 2021 American Community Survey 1-year data and 2017-2021 5-year data to report on computer use by device type and broadband subscriptions. Includes rural and urban comparisons within 4 regions and by state.
Author(s): Daniela Mejía
Date: 06/2024
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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Neighborhood Deprivation and Breast Cancer Mortality Among Black and White Women
Compares the association of breast cancer mortality with neighborhood deprivation among Black and White women in Georgia who were diagnosed with breast cancer between 2010 and 2017. Measures deprivation via the Neighborhood Deprivation Index (NDI), utilizing 2011-2015 American Community Survey (ACS) data. Provides additional data breakdowns by level of rurality, neighborhood racial composition, and neighborhood residential mobility.
Author(s): Lauren E. Barber, Maret L. Maliniak, Leah Moubadder, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(6), e2416499
Date: 06/2024
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Cervical Cancer Screening Rates among Rural and Urban Females, From 2019 to 2022
Analyzes frequency of receiving a recent Papanicolau (Pap) test among rural and urban women aged 21 to 65, using Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) data from 2019, 2020, and 2022. Provides screening rate data comparisons by year and by demographic category, including race and ethnicity, age, insurance status, educational level, and more.
Author(s): Tyrone F. Borders, Amanda Thaxton Wiggins
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(6), e2417094
Date: 06/2024
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Understanding the Rise of Ransomware Attacks on Rural Hospitals
Explores trends in ransomware attacks on rural hospitals between 2016 and 2021 by analyzing data from the Tracking Healthcare Ransomware Events and Traits (THREAT) database. Describes the types of rural hospitals that experienced ransomware attacks during this period. Compares the frequency of hospitals' operational disruptions during attacks by urban and rural location.
Author(s): Hannah T. Neprash, Claire C. McGlave, Katie Rydberg, Carrie Henning-Smith
Date: 06/2024
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Updated Analysis: Using Population-Based Outcome Measures to Assess the Impact of Telehealth Expansion on Medicare Beneficiaries' Access to Care and Quality of Care
Explores the association between telehealth use, quality of care, and access to care when both telehealth and in-person visits are available to fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare beneficiaries. Compares data from the second half of 2018 and 2019 to the second half of 2022 by the level of telehealth utilization in Hospital Service Areas (HSAs). Describes the effects of telehealth for urban and rural beneficiaries and differentiates between telehealth utilization for behavioral and non-behavioral health services. Updates a June 2023 report that analyzed data from 2021.
Author(s): Tanvi Rao, Angshuman Gooptu, Karin Johnson, Guido Cataife, Steven Susana-Castillo
Date: 06/2024
Sponsoring organizations: American Institutes for Research, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Ambient Air Pollution and the Risk of Violence in Primary and Secondary School Settings: A Cross-sectional Study
Examines the relationship among air quality, neurological dysfunction, and violent behavior in schools. Analyzes associations between air pollution and violent incidents in Minnesota schools from 2008-2012. Includes county-level maps showing air pollution levels and location of rural and urban schools, with further data analysis exploring rural versus urban differences in air quality and violent behavior.
Author(s): Austin T. Rau, Alyson B. Harding, Andy Ryan, et al.
Citation: Injury Epidemiology, 11, 24
Date: 06/2024
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Diagnosed Dementia in Adults Age 65 and Older: United States, 2022
Examines the prevalence of diagnosed dementia in the U.S. population in adults aged 65 or older. Utilizes 2022 National Health Interview Survey data to observe dementia prevalence in noninstitutionalized adults, with breakdowns according to demographics, veteran status, education, income, region, and urbanization level, including large central metropolitan, large fringe metropolitan, medium and small metropolitan, and nonmetropolitan location.
Author(s): Ellen A. Kramarow
Date: 06/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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