Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences
Chronic Pain Prevalence and Trends in Urban, Suburban, and Rural Areas among American Adults Aged 55+, 1998–2022
Compares the prevalence of chronic pain and associated trends in rural, suburban, and urban areas among adults aged 55 and older, utilizing 1998-2022 Health and Retirement Study data.
Author(s): Yulin Yang, Feinuo Sun, Zachary Zimmer, et al.
Citation: Social Science & Medicine, 385, 118625
Date: 11/2025
view details
Compares the prevalence of chronic pain and associated trends in rural, suburban, and urban areas among adults aged 55 and older, utilizing 1998-2022 Health and Retirement Study data.
Author(s): Yulin Yang, Feinuo Sun, Zachary Zimmer, et al.
Citation: Social Science & Medicine, 385, 118625
Date: 11/2025
view details
Missed Opportunities for Tobacco Dependence Treatment among U.S. Veterans Referred for Lung Cancer Screening: An Observational Cohort Study
Analyzes rates at which tobacco dependence treatment (TDT) is provided to veterans who use tobacco and were referred for lung cancer screening (LCS) at Veterans Affairs Medical Centers and associated clinics in the upper Midwest between September 2022 and September 2023. Breaks down clinical and demographic factors associated with TDT use, including rurality.
Author(s): Anne C. Melzer, Adam Kaplan, Megan Campbell, et al.
Citation: Preventive Medicine Reports, 59, 103263
Date: 11/2025
view details
Analyzes rates at which tobacco dependence treatment (TDT) is provided to veterans who use tobacco and were referred for lung cancer screening (LCS) at Veterans Affairs Medical Centers and associated clinics in the upper Midwest between September 2022 and September 2023. Breaks down clinical and demographic factors associated with TDT use, including rurality.
Author(s): Anne C. Melzer, Adam Kaplan, Megan Campbell, et al.
Citation: Preventive Medicine Reports, 59, 103263
Date: 11/2025
view details
Association of Injury-Related Mortality with Unique Domains of Social Determinants of Health Across the Urban-Rural Continuum
Examines whether social determinants of health associated with injury-related mortality vary by geography, utilizing 2000-2017 Pennsylvania Trauma Study Outcomes data. Compares rural and urban populations, with further data breakdowns by race, place of birth, income, and other demographic factors.
Author(s): Tamara Byrd, Nicholas Kass, Liling Lu, et al.
Citation: Surgery, 187, 109607
Date: 11/2025
view details
Examines whether social determinants of health associated with injury-related mortality vary by geography, utilizing 2000-2017 Pennsylvania Trauma Study Outcomes data. Compares rural and urban populations, with further data breakdowns by race, place of birth, income, and other demographic factors.
Author(s): Tamara Byrd, Nicholas Kass, Liling Lu, et al.
Citation: Surgery, 187, 109607
Date: 11/2025
view details
Medicare Payment Basics: Skilled Nursing Facility Services Payment System
Overview of Medicare payments for skilled nursing and rehabilitation services. Describes what constitutes a skilled nursing facility and how small, rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) may be used to provide these services with CMS approval. Compares Medicare daily base rates for urban and rural skilled nursing facilities.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Overview of Medicare payments for skilled nursing and rehabilitation services. Describes what constitutes a skilled nursing facility and how small, rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) may be used to provide these services with CMS approval. Compares Medicare daily base rates for urban and rural skilled nursing facilities.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
Comparing Trends in Telemedicine Use and Geographic Disparities in Utilization among Patients with Cancer in the United States
Analyzes how telemedicine use varied by rurality among patients with lung or colon cancer during the early COVID-19 pandemic, using 2020-2021 Medicare fee-for-service claims data. Includes data on the use of telehealth, in-person, and emergency department services.
Author(s): Matthew Mackwood, Qianfei Wang, Tor D. Tosteson, et al.
Citation: JCO Oncology Practice, 22(7), 1331-1340
Date: 10/2025
view details
Analyzes how telemedicine use varied by rurality among patients with lung or colon cancer during the early COVID-19 pandemic, using 2020-2021 Medicare fee-for-service claims data. Includes data on the use of telehealth, in-person, and emergency department services.
Author(s): Matthew Mackwood, Qianfei Wang, Tor D. Tosteson, et al.
Citation: JCO Oncology Practice, 22(7), 1331-1340
Date: 10/2025
view details
2025 Snapshot: State of the Hematology and Medical Oncologist Workforce in America
Infographic providing statistics and data on hematology and medical oncology workforce characteristics and geography in 2025. Highlights rural shortages in current and projected oncologist supply.
Citation: JCO Oncology Practice, 21, 1774
Date: 10/2025
view details
Infographic providing statistics and data on hematology and medical oncology workforce characteristics and geography in 2025. Highlights rural shortages in current and projected oncologist supply.
Citation: JCO Oncology Practice, 21, 1774
Date: 10/2025
view details
Geographic Differences in Obesogenic Behaviors and Overweight and Obesity Among Children and Adolescents
Compares the prevalence of obesity and overweight and examines how obesogenic factors such as food security, physical activity, sleep time, and screen time vary by rural or urban dwelling among children aged 10 to 17 years. Uses 2021-2022 National Survey of Children's Health data.
Author(s): Elizabeth Crouch, Nicholas Yell, Emma Boswell, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22
Date: 10/2025
view details
Compares the prevalence of obesity and overweight and examines how obesogenic factors such as food security, physical activity, sleep time, and screen time vary by rural or urban dwelling among children aged 10 to 17 years. Uses 2021-2022 National Survey of Children's Health data.
Author(s): Elizabeth Crouch, Nicholas Yell, Emma Boswell, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22
Date: 10/2025
view details
Unpacking the Primary Care Clinician Index: Understanding How Changes in Population and Workforce Supply Affect Access to Primary Care in North Carolina
Analyzes the primary care clinician supply between 2017 and 2024 to identify how it has changed with regard to physician, population, and geographic characteristics including rurality. Discusses how the studied characteristics indicate access to care. Discusses the role of the nurse practitioner workforce in increasing access to care.
Author(s): Evan Galloway, Brianna Lombardi, Erin Fraher
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 86(3)
Date: 10/2025
view details
Analyzes the primary care clinician supply between 2017 and 2024 to identify how it has changed with regard to physician, population, and geographic characteristics including rurality. Discusses how the studied characteristics indicate access to care. Discusses the role of the nurse practitioner workforce in increasing access to care.
Author(s): Evan Galloway, Brianna Lombardi, Erin Fraher
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 86(3)
Date: 10/2025
view details
An Assessment of Nurse Practitioner Low-Value Care Use in Primary Care
Analyzes how patient demographics and geography are associated with the prevalence of nurse practitioner-delivered low-value lumbar X-ray, aURI antibiotic, and ECG services, utilizing 2021 Merative MarketScan Commercial and Medicare database data for Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico. Includes metro versus nonmetro comparison data.
Author(s): Sara B. Nugent, Roberta P. Lavin, Jongwon Lee, Brady P. Horn, Barbara I. Holmes Damron
Citation: The American Journal of Managed Care, 31(1), 553-557
Date: 10/2025
view details
Analyzes how patient demographics and geography are associated with the prevalence of nurse practitioner-delivered low-value lumbar X-ray, aURI antibiotic, and ECG services, utilizing 2021 Merative MarketScan Commercial and Medicare database data for Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico. Includes metro versus nonmetro comparison data.
Author(s): Sara B. Nugent, Roberta P. Lavin, Jongwon Lee, Brady P. Horn, Barbara I. Holmes Damron
Citation: The American Journal of Managed Care, 31(1), 553-557
Date: 10/2025
view details
New Mexico Health Care Workforce Committee: 2025 Annual Report
Reports on New Mexico's healthcare workforce, including county-level data and comparisons to national benchmarks. Discusses rural and frontier area shortages, health workforce migration trends, potential solutions for workforce issues, and updates on previous recommendations. See Appendix C for healthcare professions gap analyses by county.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of New Mexico - Health Sciences Center
view details
Reports on New Mexico's healthcare workforce, including county-level data and comparisons to national benchmarks. Discusses rural and frontier area shortages, health workforce migration trends, potential solutions for workforce issues, and updates on previous recommendations. See Appendix C for healthcare professions gap analyses by county.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of New Mexico - Health Sciences Center
view details