Conducting Rural Health Research, Needs Assessments, and Program Evaluations – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Conducting Rural Health Research, Needs Assessments, and Program Evaluations.
Recruiting Rural Patients for Clinical Research: Lessons From a Colorectal Cancer Screening Trial
Examines the effectiveness of the Colonoscopy Outreach for Rural Communities (CORC) trial in recruiting rural patients via its remotely-delivered patient navigation program. Analyzes location of primary care organizations (PCOs) participating in CORC and their success in recruiting rural patients in clinical research.
Author(s): Gina A. Keppel, Brooke Ike, C. Holly A. Andrilla, Allison M. Cole
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(3), e70189
Date: 07/2026
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Examines the effectiveness of the Colonoscopy Outreach for Rural Communities (CORC) trial in recruiting rural patients via its remotely-delivered patient navigation program. Analyzes location of primary care organizations (PCOs) participating in CORC and their success in recruiting rural patients in clinical research.
Author(s): Gina A. Keppel, Brooke Ike, C. Holly A. Andrilla, Allison M. Cole
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(3), e70189
Date: 07/2026
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Effective and Cost-Effective Strategies for Recruiting Rural Adults into a Civic Engagement and Health Behavior Change Research Study
Discusses the underrepresentation of rural populations in health research and strategies to improve their participation. Focuses on a community-based health intervention that took place in Texas and New York and includes data showing the cost effectiveness and impact of rural recruitment strategies.
Author(s): Rebecca A. Seguin-Fowler, Meredith L. Graham, Karla L. Hanson, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 26, 2179
Date: 05/2026
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Discusses the underrepresentation of rural populations in health research and strategies to improve their participation. Focuses on a community-based health intervention that took place in Texas and New York and includes data showing the cost effectiveness and impact of rural recruitment strategies.
Author(s): Rebecca A. Seguin-Fowler, Meredith L. Graham, Karla L. Hanson, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 26, 2179
Date: 05/2026
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Lessons From Rural Communities: Five Tips for Community-Based Organizations Engaging in Research
Offers 5 considerations for community-based organizations conducting research in rural communities, discussing building networks, considering community needs, centering local knowledge and experiences, measured metrics, and sustainability.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: NIH Community Engagement Alliance
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Offers 5 considerations for community-based organizations conducting research in rural communities, discussing building networks, considering community needs, centering local knowledge and experiences, measured metrics, and sustainability.
Date: 05/2026
Sponsoring organization: NIH Community Engagement Alliance
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Overcoming Challenges with Rural-Related Health Data: Lessons Learned from Published Studies
Offers a systematic review of peer-reviewed, rural health-related studies published between 2019-2022. Identifies strategies that could help address challenges related to rural data.
Author(s): Casey P. Balio, Margaret M. Francisco, Nicole Galler, et al.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
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Offers a systematic review of peer-reviewed, rural health-related studies published between 2019-2022. Identifies strategies that could help address challenges related to rural data.
Author(s): Casey P. Balio, Margaret M. Francisco, Nicole Galler, et al.
Date: 04/2026
Sponsoring organization: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
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Analyzing Demographics Within Rural Populations: Considerations for Rural Public Health Research
A tip sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discussing best practices for using demographic data in rural public health research. Discusses when to disaggregate data, common demographic variables for discovering meaningful variation, practical considerations, and limitations.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: CDC Office of Rural Health
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A tip sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discussing best practices for using demographic data in rural public health research. Discusses when to disaggregate data, common demographic variables for discovering meaningful variation, practical considerations, and limitations.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: CDC Office of Rural Health
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Using Rural-Urban Variables: Considerations for Rural Public Health Research
A tip sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discussing best practices for using rural and urban variables in public health studies. Discusses rural definitions, differences in rural communities, including rural communities in interpretation, and more.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: CDC Office of Rural Health
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A tip sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discussing best practices for using rural and urban variables in public health studies. Discusses rural definitions, differences in rural communities, including rural communities in interpretation, and more.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: CDC Office of Rural Health
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Leveraging the Rural-Urban Commuting Area Tool to Address Geographic Disparities in Cancer Care: A Dual-Application Framework for Institutional and National Initiatives
Details an open-access Rural-Urban Community Area (RUCA) tool to standardize patients' geographic coding in cancer disparities research by integrating RUCA codes with census tract and electronic health record system data. Provides data on the tool's application, utilizing 2023 cancer registry data provided by Wake Forest Cancer Center in North Carolina.
Author(s): Meredith C.B. Adams, Cody L. Hudson, Matthew L. Perkins, Robert W. Hurley, Umit Topaloglu
Citation: JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics, 9, e2500122
Date: 11/2025
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Details an open-access Rural-Urban Community Area (RUCA) tool to standardize patients' geographic coding in cancer disparities research by integrating RUCA codes with census tract and electronic health record system data. Provides data on the tool's application, utilizing 2023 cancer registry data provided by Wake Forest Cancer Center in North Carolina.
Author(s): Meredith C.B. Adams, Cody L. Hudson, Matthew L. Perkins, Robert W. Hurley, Umit Topaloglu
Citation: JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics, 9, e2500122
Date: 11/2025
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A Review of Common Limitations in Rural Related Studies in the Peer-Reviewed Literature
Examines rural-focused research studies and their data limitations, such as quality of data, generalizability, numerous rural definitions, outdated data, and more. Reviews 259 research studies published between 2019-2022 in prominent peer-reviewed journals to analyze study characteristics and author-reported limitations.
Author(s): Stephanie M. Mathis, Olivia A. Sullivan, Margaret M. Francisco, et al.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
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Examines rural-focused research studies and their data limitations, such as quality of data, generalizability, numerous rural definitions, outdated data, and more. Reviews 259 research studies published between 2019-2022 in prominent peer-reviewed journals to analyze study characteristics and author-reported limitations.
Author(s): Stephanie M. Mathis, Olivia A. Sullivan, Margaret M. Francisco, et al.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
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The National Dementia Workforce Study: The Plan for Organization Sample Frames and Data Collection
Details a plan for sampling and recruitment procedures of the dementia workforce, focusing on previously unsampled populations working in assisted living communities or home health agencies. Discusses sampling and recruitment strategies with considerations for Census region and rural areas.
Author(s): James Wagner, Laura M. Wagner, Sheryl Zimmerman, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 73(11), 3336-3343
Date: 09/2025
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Details a plan for sampling and recruitment procedures of the dementia workforce, focusing on previously unsampled populations working in assisted living communities or home health agencies. Discusses sampling and recruitment strategies with considerations for Census region and rural areas.
Author(s): James Wagner, Laura M. Wagner, Sheryl Zimmerman, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 73(11), 3336-3343
Date: 09/2025
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Precision Public Health Alliances as a Model and Method for Community Engagement
Examines the Precision Public Health Alliance (PPHA) approach of utilizing analytics to map social, demographic, and clinical comorbidity variables onto colorectal cancer (CRC) screening data in rural northeastern Kentucky and southeastern Ohio. Provides data on the relationship among sociodemographic information, clinical outcomes, and CRC screening to assess community needs. Discusses the importance of understanding social determinants of health (SDOH) and community collaboration when addressing population health.
Author(s): Margaret L. McGladrey, Mary Elizabeth Lacy, Kristen McQuerry, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 13
Date: 08/2025
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Examines the Precision Public Health Alliance (PPHA) approach of utilizing analytics to map social, demographic, and clinical comorbidity variables onto colorectal cancer (CRC) screening data in rural northeastern Kentucky and southeastern Ohio. Provides data on the relationship among sociodemographic information, clinical outcomes, and CRC screening to assess community needs. Discusses the importance of understanding social determinants of health (SDOH) and community collaboration when addressing population health.
Author(s): Margaret L. McGladrey, Mary Elizabeth Lacy, Kristen McQuerry, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 13
Date: 08/2025
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