Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document
What Telehealth Gets Right and What's Missing: A National Multistakeholder Study of Access and Sustainability
Explores the perspectives of telehealth patients and providers, as well as policymakers and administrators, regarding the impacts of telehealth on increasing healthcare access. Summarizes three sets of themes that emerged from semistructured interviews of 62 participants. Offers recommendations for improving the accessibility and sustainability of telehealth across each theme.
Author(s): Saif Khairat, John Geracitano, Andrea Huang, et al.
Citation: The Permanente Journal
Date: 09/2026
view details
Explores the perspectives of telehealth patients and providers, as well as policymakers and administrators, regarding the impacts of telehealth on increasing healthcare access. Summarizes three sets of themes that emerged from semistructured interviews of 62 participants. Offers recommendations for improving the accessibility and sustainability of telehealth across each theme.
Author(s): Saif Khairat, John Geracitano, Andrea Huang, et al.
Citation: The Permanente Journal
Date: 09/2026
view details
WIC & FMNP Modernization Evaluation Annual Report - 2025
Examines Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) activities and experiences from September 2025 to February 2026. Focuses on modernization of technology, service delivery, and the shopping experience, improving access to farmers' markets, developing workforce, and conducting effective outreach and enrollment. Includes commentary on program strategies specific to rural areas.
Author(s): H. Zaveri, K. Bodenlos, R. Brooks, et al.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: USDA Food and Nutrition Administration
view details
Examines Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) activities and experiences from September 2025 to February 2026. Focuses on modernization of technology, service delivery, and the shopping experience, improving access to farmers' markets, developing workforce, and conducting effective outreach and enrollment. Includes commentary on program strategies specific to rural areas.
Author(s): H. Zaveri, K. Bodenlos, R. Brooks, et al.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: USDA Food and Nutrition Administration
view details
Local Food Procurement Pathways: Key Drivers of Farm to School Participating Authorities Buying Directly From Farmers
Examines the factors impacting school food authorities' (SFAs) decisions when procuring local foods through Farm to School (F2S) programs. Analyzes trends in F2S procurement from 2018 to 2023, local food infrastructure, and SFA funding, sourcing, procuring, and serving of local foods. Includes supply chain data, use of local vendors, and procurement characteristics by SFA size and rural versus urban location.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): D. Adeline Yeh, Ashley Spalding, Christine Sauer, et al.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
view details
Examines the factors impacting school food authorities' (SFAs) decisions when procuring local foods through Farm to School (F2S) programs. Analyzes trends in F2S procurement from 2018 to 2023, local food infrastructure, and SFA funding, sourcing, procuring, and serving of local foods. Includes supply chain data, use of local vendors, and procurement characteristics by SFA size and rural versus urban location.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): D. Adeline Yeh, Ashley Spalding, Christine Sauer, et al.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
view details
Associations of Rurality, Child Opportunity, and Distance with Use of Pediatric Asthma Specialists
Examines the relationship among rurality, child opportunity index (COI), and drive time to a pediatric asthma specialist. Utilizes 2015-2021 Maine Health Data Organization All-Payer Claims Data to analyze 12,014 children with a pediatric asthma referral according to patient demographics and health status, drive time to a specialist, COI, and metro, micro, small town, or isolated small rural location. Discusses disparities in access to asthma specialty care for rural children.
Author(s): James Bohnhoff, Anya Cutler, Elizabeth A. Jacobs, Wanda Phipatanakul, Yvonne Jonk
Citation: The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 158(3), 751-757
Date: 09/2026
view details
Examines the relationship among rurality, child opportunity index (COI), and drive time to a pediatric asthma specialist. Utilizes 2015-2021 Maine Health Data Organization All-Payer Claims Data to analyze 12,014 children with a pediatric asthma referral according to patient demographics and health status, drive time to a specialist, COI, and metro, micro, small town, or isolated small rural location. Discusses disparities in access to asthma specialty care for rural children.
Author(s): James Bohnhoff, Anya Cutler, Elizabeth A. Jacobs, Wanda Phipatanakul, Yvonne Jonk
Citation: The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 158(3), 751-757
Date: 09/2026
view details
Medicare Advantage: Plan Options and Enrollment Trends in Arkansas
Explains how Medicare Advantage plans affect healthcare delivery, Medicare enrollment, and payment practices in Arkansas. Includes discussion of reimbursement challenges in rural hospitals.
Author(s): Jennifer Wessel, Chris Ray
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Center for Health Improvement
view details
Explains how Medicare Advantage plans affect healthcare delivery, Medicare enrollment, and payment practices in Arkansas. Includes discussion of reimbursement challenges in rural hospitals.
Author(s): Jennifer Wessel, Chris Ray
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Center for Health Improvement
view details
Unmasking the Rural Substance Use Burden: The Need to Move Beyond Macro-Level Data in Substance Use Policy and Planning
Brief examines health-related differences and service gaps of rural, non-rural, and national communities to better understand substance use trends in order to inform policies and interventions in rural communities. Bases findings on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) and details rates of opioid, stimulant, vape, and alcohol use in rural and urban areas in 2023 and 2024.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - Technical Assistance
view details
Brief examines health-related differences and service gaps of rural, non-rural, and national communities to better understand substance use trends in order to inform policies and interventions in rural communities. Bases findings on data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) and details rates of opioid, stimulant, vape, and alcohol use in rural and urban areas in 2023 and 2024.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Communities Opioid Response Program - Technical Assistance
view details
So You Want To Become A Health Center
Provides guidance for organizations interested in establishing a new health center under the HRSA Health Center Program. Includes information on pathways of entry into the Health Center Program; Health Center Program benefits and eligibility; strategies for assessing community need; governance, financial, and operational considerations, and more.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
view details
Provides guidance for organizations interested in establishing a new health center under the HRSA Health Center Program. Includes information on pathways of entry into the Health Center Program; Health Center Program benefits and eligibility; strategies for assessing community need; governance, financial, and operational considerations, and more.
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Community Health Centers
view details
Artificial Intelligence as a Health Communication Infrastructure for Metro and Nonmetro Residents
Examines trends in the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) for health information. Analyzes 2026 survey data from 1,343 adults regarding their AI use and includes additional breakdowns according to sociodemographics, location of Illinois or other U.S. state, and rural, suburban, or urban location.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
view details
Examines trends in the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) for health information. Analyzes 2026 survey data from 1,343 adults regarding their AI use and includes additional breakdowns according to sociodemographics, location of Illinois or other U.S. state, and rural, suburban, or urban location.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
view details
Fatigue Among Adults Age 18 and Older: United States, 2024
Analyzes the prevalence of fatigue and related functioning difficulties and work or social limitations by demographic group, using 2024 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data. See Table 2 for comparisons of frequency of fatigue by level of rurality, among other demographics.
Author(s): Natalie A. E. Young, Julie D. Weeks, Nazik Elgaddal
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
view details
Analyzes the prevalence of fatigue and related functioning difficulties and work or social limitations by demographic group, using 2024 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data. See Table 2 for comparisons of frequency of fatigue by level of rurality, among other demographics.
Author(s): Natalie A. E. Young, Julie D. Weeks, Nazik Elgaddal
Date: 09/2026
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
view details
Exploring Potential Predictors and Mediators of Marijuana Use Among US Women: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach
Examines variables related to marijuana use among U.S. adult women who reported marijuana use in the last year. Utilizes 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data to analyze marijuana use with breakdowns according to sociodemographic variables, criminal history, binge drinking, and nonmetropolitan, small metropolitan, or large metropolitan county location.
Author(s): Elfreda Samman, Wah Wah Myint, Gabrielle Torres-Coley, Aishatu Yusuf
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 23
Date: 09/2026
view details
Examines variables related to marijuana use among U.S. adult women who reported marijuana use in the last year. Utilizes 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health data to analyze marijuana use with breakdowns according to sociodemographic variables, criminal history, binge drinking, and nonmetropolitan, small metropolitan, or large metropolitan county location.
Author(s): Elfreda Samman, Wah Wah Myint, Gabrielle Torres-Coley, Aishatu Yusuf
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 23
Date: 09/2026
view details