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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Statistics and data

Veterans' Use of Veterans Health Administration Primary Care in an Era of Expanding Choice
Characterizes and compares veterans' use of Veterans Health Administration (VA) primary care services at VA facilities and through a VA community care network (VA-CCN) provider, using data from fiscal years 2015-2018. Features statistics including patient characteristics by primary care venue and odds of having any VA-CCN primary care, with breakdowns by urban, rural, or highly rural location.
Author(s): Denise M. Hynes, Samuel Edwards, Alex Hickok, et al.
Citation: Medical Care, 59(6), S292-S300
Date: 06/2021
Type: Document
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County-level Predictors of Growth in Community-based Primary Care Use Among Veterans
Measures county-level growth in Veterans Health Administration (VA) community-based primary care (CBPC) penetration following enactment of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act, and assesses whether CBPC penetration increased in rural counties with limited access to VA facilities. Features statistics on county-level CBCP rates and characteristics of counties with high or low growth in penetration rates, with breakdowns by urban, rural, and highly rural locations.
Author(s): Sarah H. Gordon, Erin Beilstein-Wedel, Amy K. Rosen, et al.
Citation: Medical Care, 59(6), S301-S306
Date: 06/2021
Type: Document
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Did Access to Care Improve Since Passage of the Veterans Choice Act?: Differences Between Rural and Urban Veterans
Examines wait times among rural and urban veterans for physical therapy, cardiology, optometry, orthopedic, and dental services. Features demographic statistics for fiscal year (FY) 2015 with breakdowns by rural or urban patients, and average consult wait times during FY 2015 and FY 18 with breakdowns by urban or rural location, service types, and care settings.
Author(s): Deborah Gurewich, Michael Schwartz, Erin Beilstein-Wedel, Heather Davila, Amy K. Rosen
Citation: Medical Care, 59(6), S270-S278
Date: 06/2021
Type: Document
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Rural Veterans' Experiences With Outpatient Care in the Veterans Health Administration Versus Community Care
Compares rural veterans' experiences with community care (CC) and Veterans Administration (VA) outpatient healthcare services to those of urban veterans, and examines changes over time. Features demographic statistics with breakdowns by rural CC and rural VA patients, and ratings for 4 healthcare experiences and outcome measures for rural and urban veterans in fiscal years 2016 and 2019.
Author(s): Heather Davila, Amy K. Rosen, Erin Beilstein-Wedel, et al.
Citation: Medical Care, 59, S286-S291
Date: 06/2021
Type: Document
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Vermont Baseline Needs Assessment: Rural and Non-Rural Practitioners
Report details a needs assessment of Vermont's practitioners' capacity to treat substance use disorder (SUD) and compares rural and urban counties. Breaks down workforce distribution by county, by rural versus urban, and by the type of SUD treatment they are able to provide, as well as their MAT waiver status, among other measures.
Date: 06/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction
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Urban–Rural Mortality Disparities from Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases in the United States, 1999–2019
Letter to the editor presenting data on chronic lower respiratory disease mortality between 1999 and 2019, including a population breakdown by 6 levels of metro and nonmetro status, using the CDC WONDER database. Discusses rural disparities in mortality and charts mortality trends over time.
Author(s): Paul A. Reyfman, Basil Khuder, Jacob B. Pierce, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 203(11), 1435-1437
Date: 06/2021
Type: Document
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Indiana's Physician Assistant Workforce
Information on demographics, education and practice characteristics, and distribution of Indiana physician assistants (PAs). Includes a county-level map showing population to PA ratios, with a comparison of numbers of PAs in rural and urban counties.
Author(s): Analise Dickinson, Sierra Vaughn, Mykayla Moore, Hannah Maxey
Date: 06/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy
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2020 Annual (January–December) Infectious Disease Report
Highlights the number of cases of infectious diseases occurrence in different regions of Alaska in 2020. Looks at diseases such as Hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, and Lyme disease, among many others.
Citation: State of Alaska Epidemiology Bulletin, 10
Date: 06/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Alaska Department of Health, Alaska Division of Public Health
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Intimate Partner Violence and Structural Violence in the Lives of Incarcerated Women: A Mixed-Method Study in Rural New Mexico
Presents a study of incarcerated women's experiences with intimate partner violence (IPV) and other structural issues disproportionately affecting rural women in New Mexico who are victims of IPV. Draws data from surveys of 99 women, discussing the correlation of IPV with mental health issues, substance use, and socioeconomic conditions.
Author(s): Shilo St. Cyr, Elise Trott Jaramillo, Laura Garrison, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(12), 6185
Date: 06/2021
Type: Document
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Arizona's Physician Shortage: Monitoring Rural Physician Retention and Relocation
Brief discussing rural physician shortage issues in Arizona, offering national-level standards for physician age, education, and structural factors impacting retention. Offers recommendations related to physician surveys to monitor shortages and workforce needs in the state.
Date: 06/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Center for Rural Health
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