Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences
Caregiving in the US 2025
A national profile of family caregivers, describing demographics, living situations, wellness, and more as well as caregiving related policies. Discusses rural throughout.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Full Report, Infographic
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organizations: AARP, National Alliance for Caregiving
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A national profile of family caregivers, describing demographics, living situations, wellness, and more as well as caregiving related policies. Discusses rural throughout.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Full Report, Infographic
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organizations: AARP, National Alliance for Caregiving
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Palliative Care Specialist Use Among Medicare Decedents Who Had Poor-Prognosis Cancers
Examines demographic variation in specialty palliative care (PC) use, utilizing data of all Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries who died from poor-prognosis cancers between 2018 and 2023. See Figure 3 for data on associations between rural or urban populations, among other factors, and PC use.
Author(s): Isaac S. Chua, Haiden A. Huskamp, Ateev Mehrotra, Andrew D. Wilcock
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(7), e2522886
Date: 07/2025
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Examines demographic variation in specialty palliative care (PC) use, utilizing data of all Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries who died from poor-prognosis cancers between 2018 and 2023. See Figure 3 for data on associations between rural or urban populations, among other factors, and PC use.
Author(s): Isaac S. Chua, Haiden A. Huskamp, Ateev Mehrotra, Andrew D. Wilcock
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(7), e2522886
Date: 07/2025
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Pennsylvania Rural Health Plan, 2025-2030
Highlights healthcare challenges in rural Pennsylvania, acknowledges strengths, and promotes recommendations to address disparities. Features demographics and sections on social determinants of health, agricultural safety and farmworker health, aging, disabilities, homelessness, veterans, Pennsylvania's healthcare delivery system, broadband access, and telehealth.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Pennsylvania Rural Health Association
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Highlights healthcare challenges in rural Pennsylvania, acknowledges strengths, and promotes recommendations to address disparities. Features demographics and sections on social determinants of health, agricultural safety and farmworker health, aging, disabilities, homelessness, veterans, Pennsylvania's healthcare delivery system, broadband access, and telehealth.
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: Pennsylvania Rural Health Association
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Financial Performance of Rural and Urban Nursing Homes: A Comparative Analysis
Presents a study comparing the financial performance between rural and urban nursing homes. Discusses the different structural barriers and facilitators that affect the operating margins in rural and urban facilities.
Author(s): Gregory N. Orewa, Rohit Pradhan, Akbar Ghiasi, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(3), e70053
Date: 07/2025
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Presents a study comparing the financial performance between rural and urban nursing homes. Discusses the different structural barriers and facilitators that affect the operating margins in rural and urban facilities.
Author(s): Gregory N. Orewa, Rohit Pradhan, Akbar Ghiasi, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(3), e70053
Date: 07/2025
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Variation, Overlap, and Stability in Defining Safety Net Hospitals
Results of a study examining the extent to which safety net hospitals overlap, change over time, and represent similar types of healthcare facilities. Features statistics with breakdowns including rural location and Critical Access Hospital designation.
Author(s): Paula Chatterjee, Joshua M. Liao, Kano Amagai, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(7), e2523923
Date: 07/2025
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Results of a study examining the extent to which safety net hospitals overlap, change over time, and represent similar types of healthcare facilities. Features statistics with breakdowns including rural location and Critical Access Hospital designation.
Author(s): Paula Chatterjee, Joshua M. Liao, Kano Amagai, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(7), e2523923
Date: 07/2025
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AACOM Applicants & Matriculants Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Categories & Regions 2016-2024
Report on osteopathic medical school applicants and matriculants, using data from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) application to summarize categories and geographic regions. Features statistics with breakdowns by 6 levels of population density.
Author(s): Erik Guercio
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
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Report on osteopathic medical school applicants and matriculants, using data from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) application to summarize categories and geographic regions. Features statistics with breakdowns by 6 levels of population density.
Author(s): Erik Guercio
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
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Most Medicare Advantage Markets are Dominated by One or Two Insurers
Examines the competitiveness of Medicare Advantage (MA) markets at the county level. Explores how often one or two Medicare Advantage insurers enrolled at least half of all enrollees within a county. Compares data on the share of counties in very concentrated MA markets across urban, rural adjacent, and rural non-adjacent counties.
Author(s): Nicole Zhu, Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Nolan Sroczynski, Tricia Neuman
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Examines the competitiveness of Medicare Advantage (MA) markets at the county level. Explores how often one or two Medicare Advantage insurers enrolled at least half of all enrollees within a county. Compares data on the share of counties in very concentrated MA markets across urban, rural adjacent, and rural non-adjacent counties.
Author(s): Nicole Zhu, Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, Nolan Sroczynski, Tricia Neuman
Date: 07/2025
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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COVID-19 Risk Stratification among Older Adults: A Machine Learning Approach to Identify Personal and Health-Related Risk Factors
Examines risk perceptions and health behaviors related to COVID-19 to create a predictive model to classify individuals into risk categories. Analyzes individual features such as demographic variables, health conditions, adherence to public health guidelines, health literacy, and urbanicity.
Author(s): Arezoo Abasi, Seyed Abbas Motevalian, Haleh Ayatollahi
Citation: BMC Public Health 25, 2577
Date: 07/2025
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Examines risk perceptions and health behaviors related to COVID-19 to create a predictive model to classify individuals into risk categories. Analyzes individual features such as demographic variables, health conditions, adherence to public health guidelines, health literacy, and urbanicity.
Author(s): Arezoo Abasi, Seyed Abbas Motevalian, Haleh Ayatollahi
Citation: BMC Public Health 25, 2577
Date: 07/2025
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Is Rural Residence an Independent Risk Factor for Spontaneous Preterm Birth at a Midwestern Tertiary Care Center? A Cross-Sectional Study
Examines the correlation between rural residence and spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB). Analyzes 16,974 deliveries among 13,339 women at a Midwest tertiary care center according to patient demographics, gestational age, insurance status, health status and behaviors, and rural versus urban location. Discusses rurality as a variable and potential causes for the correlation to sPTB.
Author(s): Abbie Lund, Barcey T. Levy, Yinghui Xu, David A. Bedell, Mark K. Santillan
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 16
Date: 07/2025
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Examines the correlation between rural residence and spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB). Analyzes 16,974 deliveries among 13,339 women at a Midwest tertiary care center according to patient demographics, gestational age, insurance status, health status and behaviors, and rural versus urban location. Discusses rurality as a variable and potential causes for the correlation to sPTB.
Author(s): Abbie Lund, Barcey T. Levy, Yinghui Xu, David A. Bedell, Mark K. Santillan
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 16
Date: 07/2025
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Metropolitan/Nonmetropolitan Differences of the Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Survivors' Care
Examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care in metro and nonmetro locations. Utilizes 2021 Health Information National Trends-Surveillance Epidemiology End Results (HINTS-SEER) data from cancer survivors regarding their routine cancer screening, preventive care, treatment, and follow-up appointments.
Author(s): Whitney E. Zahnd, Jason T. Semprini, Robin C. Vanderpool, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(3)
Date: 07/2025
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Examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care in metro and nonmetro locations. Utilizes 2021 Health Information National Trends-Surveillance Epidemiology End Results (HINTS-SEER) data from cancer survivors regarding their routine cancer screening, preventive care, treatment, and follow-up appointments.
Author(s): Whitney E. Zahnd, Jason T. Semprini, Robin C. Vanderpool, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(3)
Date: 07/2025
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