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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Surgery

Geospatial Analysis of Access to Emergency Cesarean Delivery for Military and Civilian Populations in the US
Results of a study of 29 military medical treatment facilities (MTFs) and 2,363 civilian hospitals, to identify opportunities for military-civilian partnership in obstetric care and to assess whether civilian use of MTFs could improve access to emergency cesarean delivery care, particularly for women in rural areas. Features a county-level map showing coverage of population within a 30-minute travel time to a facility providing emergency cesarean delivery care, and statistics on travel time coverage to civilian hospitals and MTFs providing emergency cesarean delivery care.
Author(s): Tarsicio Uribe-Leitz, Bridget Matsas, Michael K. Dalton, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 5(1)
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
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Overview of Major Ambulatory Surgeries Performed in Hospital-Owned Facilities, 2019
Presents data on major ambulatory surgeries performed in hospital-owned facilities using the 2019 Nationwide Ambulatory Surgery Sample (NASS). Includes statistics on ambulatory surgeries by patient and hospital characteristics, including age, community income, patient and hospital location, and primary expected payer.
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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A Predictive Model of Hospital Choice for Rural Residents Seeking Surgery
Webinar discussing research on factors impacting rural patient choice for inpatient surgery. Discusses healthcare quality and patient outcomes in Critical Access Hospitals, the impact of patient bypass on rural facilities, and characteristics of hospitals, patients, and surgeries associated with bypass. Transcript available in the video description.
Date: 11/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Overview of Operating Room Procedures During Inpatient Stays in U.S. Hospitals, 2018
Report offering statistics on operating room (OR) procedures during 2018 using National Inpatient Sample (NIS) data. Compares OR procedure rates to overall hospital stays, examines patient characteristics including rural and metro location, and ranks the top 20 OR procedures with breakdowns by gender, age, and costliness.
Author(s): Kimberly W. McDermott, Lan Liang
Date: 08/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Use of the Spatial Access Ratio to Measure Geospatial Access to Emergency General Surgery Services in California
Evaluates the ability of Spatial Access Ratio (SPAR) to identify disparities in emergency general surgery (EGS) access in California. Compares the locations of 238 EGS-capable hospitals to the location of California residents with focus on the socio-demographic characteristics of population size, poverty rate, health insurance coverage, and rural or urban status. Table 2 shows access to EGS hospitals by rurality, among other data. Discusses the use of SPAR to allocate resources differently.
Author(s): Marta McCrum, Neng Wan, Steven Lizotte, et al.
Citation: The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 90(5), 853-860
Date: 05/2021
Type: Document
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Place and Population Matter in General Surgeon Location and Practice Structure
Examines ways in which population changes over time in different geographical regions of the United States have affected the availability of general surgeons and quality of care. Explores the implications of hospital mergers on the viability of rural hospitals.
Author(s): Thomas C. Ricketts
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(4)
Date: 04/2021
Type: Document
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Predicting Hospital Choice for Rural Residents Seeking Elective Surgery
Webinar summarizing research on patient choice in elective surgery. Discusses the impact of patient choice on rural hospital financial viability, patient and hospital factors impacting choice, and opportunities for further research. Transcript available in the video description.
Date: 03/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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The Distribution of the General Surgery Workforce in Rural and Urban America in 2019
Explores regional, rural-urban, and intra-rural differences in the supply of general surgeons, using 2019 data. Compares the 2019 findings to results of a similar analysis using 2001 data. Intended to give policymakers, workforce analysts, and medical educators an up-to-date picture of current and long-term trends in supply and distribution of the rural and urban general surgeon workforce. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban, rural, large rural, and small rural locations.
Author(s): Eric H. Larson, C. Holly A. Andrilla, John Kearney, Lisa A. Garberson, Davis G. Patterson
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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The Essential Role of Family Physicians in Providing Cesarean Sections in Rural Communities
Policy brief describing percentages of family physicians (FPs) providing obstetric services and cesarean deliveries as the primary surgeon, using data from the 2017 and 2018 American Board of Family Medicine's Family Medicine Certification Examination registration questionnaire for FPs seeking to continue their certification. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban, micropolitan, large rural, and small rural locations.
Author(s): Sebastian T. Tong, Aimee R. Eden, Zachary J. Morgan, Andrew W. Bazemore, Lars E. Peterson
Citation: Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 34(1), 10-11
Date: 01/2021
Type: Document
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Rural Disparities in Surgical Care from Gynecologic Oncologists Among Midwestern Ovarian Cancer Patients
Compares the surgeries of 1,003 rural and urban women between 18 and 89 with ovarian cancer between 2010 and 2012 in Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa with particular focus on access to gynecologic oncologist specialists. Discusses referral practices, distances to specialists, and outcomes of surgeries with specialists compared to non-specialists.
Author(s): Kristin Weeks, Charles F. Lynch, Michele West, et al.
Citation: Gynecologic Oncology, 160(2), 477-484
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
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