Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Statistics and data

Training a Rural Oral Health Workforce: Effects of Rural Background on Dentist Practice Choice
Assesses outcomes from 2012-2021 of the Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program, an educational track of the University of Washington School of Dentistry that aims to produce graduates who practice in rural areas of the Pacific Northwest. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by rural or nonrural upbringing.
Author(s): Anna R. Forsyth, Arsen A. Melkonyan, Kristopher Kerns, et al.
Citation: Journal of Dental Education, 89(2), 177-185
Date: 02/2025
view details
A Proposed Method for Identifying Interfacility Transfers in Medicare Claims Data
Discusses a methodology for identifying interfacility transfers (IFTs) to prevent underrepresentation of low-income and rural patients in the data. Utilizes 2011–2020 Medicare claims data of patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) to examine transfers with breakdowns according to age; sex; race; income; access to emergency department (ED), trauma, or intensive care unit (ICU) care; and metro, micro, or rural location.
Author(s): Sayeh Nikpay, Michelle Leeberg, Katy Kozhimannil, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 60(1)
Date: 02/2025
view details
Using Social Risks to Predict Unplanned Hospital Readmission and Emergency Care Among Hospitalized Veterans
Examines the correlation of hospital readmission rates of veterans and social risk. Utilizes 2016-2022 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) data to create a social risk index, focusing on domains such as psychosocial, financial, housing, food insecurity, violence, access to care, neighborhood deprivation, and more. Includes breakdowns of social risk according to sociodemographic variables, VA priority enrollment, hospital readmission, and rural, highly rural, or urban.
Author(s): Portia Y. Cornell, Cassandra L. Hua, Zachary M. Buchalksi, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 60(1), e14353
Date: 02/2025
view details
North Carolina Office of Rural Health: 2024 Profile
Fact sheet providing an overview of the North Carolina Office of Rural Health (ORH), including information on programs, services, technical support, grants, funding, and economic impact. Includes a county-level map of ORH-supported locations, including state designated Rural Health Centers, Critical Access Hospitals, and Community Health Grantees, among others.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Office of Rural Health
view details
North Carolina Rural Health Operations Team: 2024 Profile
Fact sheet describing the North Carolina Rural Health Operations Team's work connecting organizations and rural primary healthcare sites to resources, increasing access to quality care, and coordinating existing services to improve access to primary care. Includes statistics on grants, performance measures, return on investment and economic impact, and total program funding, with breakdown by federal and state contributions. Includes a county-level map showing locations of state designated Rural Health Centers.
Date: 02/2025
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
view details
South Dakota Department of Health 2025 Annual Report
Describes activities and accomplishments of the South Dakota Department of Health. Includes sections on public health preparedness and response, rural health, emergency medical services, health information technology, family and community health, and licensure and accreditation. Features the strategic plan for 2025-2027.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: South Dakota Department of Health
view details
Cumulative Social Disadvantage and Medicinal Cannabis Use among Younger Adults in Rural Communities: A Mixed Methods Approach
Examines associations between medicinal cannabis use and social disadvantage among 153 adults aged 18-35 in rural northern California. Discusses topics including rural access to primary and mental healthcare, stigma, and the relationships between recreational and medicinal cannabis use.
Author(s): Sharon Lipperman-Kreda, Emile Sanders, Julie Peach, et al.
Citation: Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 58(3), 325-334
Date: 01/2025
view details
VHA Office of Rural Health (ORH) Long-Range Operational Plan, FY 2025-2029
Presents the Veterans Health Administration, Office of Rural Health's (ORH) operational plan for 2025-2029. Discusses ORH's 4 main goals going forward: support delivery of accessible integrated care, optimize workforce capacity, enrich research and quality improvement, and to maximize employee performance. Highlights how the ORH goals fit with the VA's strategic and stewardship goals, as well as the broader VHA goals.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health
view details
Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias among Medicare Beneficiaries Aged ≥ 65 Years in Rural America, by Census Region and Select Demographic Characteristics: 2020
Examines Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) diagnosis rates among rural Medicare beneficiaries age 65 years and older, using 2020 Medicare administrative data. Breaks down data by Census region, age, sex, and race and ethnicity.
Author(s): Kevin A. Matthews, Christian T. Murray, Brenda L. Nguyen, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12902
Date: 01/2025
view details
Social Network Barriers to Extended-Release Naltrexone Within Rural Appalachia: Perspectives from Justice-Involved Clients and Clinicians
Presents a study on the role of family, friends, and clinicians can play in influencing naltrexone treatment uptake of people with opioid use disorder (POUD) who are incarcerated in Appalachia. Bases findings on interviews with clinicians and breaks down data by sociodemographic characteristics, substance use, and social network composition, among other measures.
Author(s): Amanda M. Bunting, Carrie B. Oser, Marisa Booty, et al.
Citation: Substance Use & Misuse, 60(5), 758-765
Date: 01/2025
view details