Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document

Examining Rural Disparities in Cigarette Smoking Among U.S. Women by Chronological Age: 2002–2022
Presents a study on rural disparities in rates of cigarette smoking among women from 2002 to 2022. Draws data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health and examines correlative factors, such as age, educational attainment, and income, among others.
Author(s): Stephen T. Higgins, Tyler G. Erath, Fang Fang Chen, Michael J. DeSarno
Citation: Preventive Medicine, 201, 108359
Date: 12/2025
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Who is Performing Routine Screening Endoscopy in Kansas Rural Communities
Examines the types of healthcare practitioners who perform endoscopic screening procedures in rural communities in Kansas. Utilizes survey data from 542 practicing physicians and provides information on their demographics, medical specialty, confidence in performing endoscopic procedures, and more.
Author(s): Todd T. Savolt, Jared Reyes, Siman Antar, Kyle Vincent
Citation: American Journal of Surgery, 250, 116511
Date: 12/2025
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Early Adoption of Telehealth/Remote Patient Monitoring and Hospital Revenue Changes During COVID-19
Evaluates telehealth and remote patient monitoring use between 2019 and 2020 among 1,742 rural and urban hospitals to determine the impact of COVID-19 on utilization and revenue. Discusses potential policy measures given study findings.
Author(s): Claudia A. Rhoades, Brian E. Whitacre, Alison F. Davis
Citation: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 31(10)
Date: 12/2025
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Co-Creating and Disseminating Substance Use and Vaping Educational Videos, Question Prompt Lists, and Other Resources in Partnership with Community Organizations and Youth in Western North Carolina
Describes the development of and evaluates the social media reach of a youth empowerment program addressing substance use in rural North Carolina. Discusses the inclusion of youth in the development process.
Author(s): Betsy Sleath, Abena A. Adjei, Jeremy Lowery, et al.
Citation: PEC Innovation, 7
Date: 12/2025
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Tobacco-Related Knowledge Among Employees at Substance Use Treatment and Medical Healthcare Centers Serving Rural and Medically Underserved Patients with Substance Use Disorders in Texas, USA
Examines tobacco knowledge before and after receipt of a brief tobacco cessation training intervention among healthcare providers at substance use treatment centers and medical healthcare centers in rural and medically underserved areas of Texas. Details gaps in provider training related to the care of co-incident tobacco use and substance misuse disorders.
Author(s): Jedidiah A. Feyisetan, Maggie Britton, Tzuan A. Chen, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(11), 1701
Date: 11/2025
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Rural Missourians' Perspectives on Pain: "I Like To Be in Control of My Life"
Explores Missourians' attitudes toward pain and pharmacological and non-pharmacological pain management via interviews of 25 rural Missourians. Discusses how pain treatment is influenced by pain medication stigma, desire for self-sufficiency, and other cultural factors.
Author(s): Karla T. Washington, Klaudia Kukulka, Archana Bharadwaj, et al.
Citation: Health & Place, 96, 103561
Date: 11/2025
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A Novel Approach to Incorporate Frontier Areas Into Urban–Rural Geographic Classifications: Integrated Metropolitan-to-Frontier Area Codes
Explores an effort to develop a rural-urban classification that captures the remoteness of frontier areas. Details the tract-level Integrated Metropolitan-to-Frontier Area Codes (tlMFAC), a combination of the USDA's Frontier and Remote Area (FAR) definition and the Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) Codes. Discusses the conceptual framework for tlMFAC and the census tract-level results of applying the definition nationally.
Author(s): Brody J. Gibson, Elizabeth Dobis, John Cromartie, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(4), e70102
Date: 11/2025
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Calendar Year 2026 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) and Ambulatory Surgical Center Final Rule (CMS-1834-FC)
Fact sheet providing an overview of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) final rule regarding updates and changes to the Medicare payments for hospital outpatient and Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) services for calendar year 2026. Summarizes provisions regarding changes to hospital price transparency; Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) and partial hospital program rate setting; updates to the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR), Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR), and Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) Programs; hospital quality start ratings; and more.
Date: 11/2025
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Current and Maximum Acceptable Travel Times to Primary Care Among US Older Adults
Explores the threshold of travel time at which it becomes a barrier to primary care access and for which groups. Uses data from a study conducted in February 2025 of adults age 50 and older. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by urban, suburban, and rural or other areas.
Author(s): Tabasa Ozawa, Ying Liu, Soeren Mattke
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(11), e2545280
Date: 11/2025
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Gaps in Artificial Intelligence Research for Rural Health in the United States: A Scoping Review
Presents a scoping review exploring the extent of research on artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare in rural communities. Discusses the application of AI in rural US healthcare and challenges that limit the development, implementation, or evaluation of AI in the rural areas.
Author(s): Katherine E. Brown, Sharon E. Davis
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association
Date: 11/2025
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