Conducting Rural Health Research, Needs Assessments, and Program Evaluations – Resources

Extending Work on Rural Health Disparities: A Commentary on Matthews and Colleagues' Report
Commentary on the CDC MMWR report, Health-Related Behaviors by Urban-Rural County Classification — United States, 2013. Discusses the value of the data provided in the report, which highlights health-related behaviors for six geographic levels. Offers recommendations to build on this work.
Author(s): Paul A. Gilbert, Helena H. Laroche, Robert B. Wallace, Edith A. Parker, Susan J. Curry
Citation: Journal of Rural Health
Date: 04/2017
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Engaging Tribal Nations of North Dakota in Conducting Community Health Assessments
Outlines the purpose and process of conducting a community health assessment (CHA) for Native American communities. Covers tribal public health policy and governance, community engagement in CHAs, steps for planning a CHA, working with data, and preparing a tribal community health improvement plan.
Date: 01/2017
Sponsoring organizations: American Indian Public Health Resource Center, North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services
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Engaging Rural Residents in Patient-Centered Health Care Research
Describes the process of engaging rural patients and caregivers to explore and understand rural perspectives surrounding the patient-centered medical home model. Discusses engagement efforts and lessons learned from analyzing rural residents' engagement in healthcare research.
Author(s): Michelle Levy, Cheryl Holmes, Amy Mendenhall, Whitney Grube
Citation: Patient Experience Journal, 4(1), 46-53
Date: 2017
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Using the ERS County Economic Types To Explore Demographic and Economic Trends in Rural Areas
Discusses six types of counties based on economic industry dependence: farming, mining, manufacturing, federal/state government, recreation, and nonspecialized counties. Describes how these county types can be used to better understand variation in demographic and economic trends in rural areas. Uses the county economic types to examine population, income, and poverty trends.
Author(s): Lorin Kusmin
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Clinical Training in the Rural Setting: Using Photovoice to Understand Student Experiences
Reports on a qualitative study of medical and physician assistant student training in 2 rural locations using photovoice, a participatory research methodology that combines photography and participant commentary.
Author(s): Emily M. Mader, Carrie Roseamelia, Sarah L. Lewis, et al.
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 16(2), 3877
Date: 05/2016
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Identifying Rural Health Clinics in Medicaid Data
Describes and compares 6 different tested methods for identifying Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) within Medicaid claims as a technique to better understand Medicaid enrollees' use of RHC services. Uses data from North Carolina, California, Georgia, and Texas.
Author(s): Marisa Domino, Seth Tyree, Regina Rutledge, Mark Holmes
Date: 05/2016
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Guiding Principles for Engaging in Research with Native American Communities
Offers guidance on how to conduct research in and with Native communities based on 11 principles focusing on cultural humility, relationship building, relevance, and more.
Date: 04/2016
Sponsoring organizations: Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center, Nadine Tafoya and Associates, New Mexico Tribal Strategic Prevention Framework Project, Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation, UNM Center for Rural and Community Behavioral Health, UNM Prevention Research Center
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Updated ERS County Economic Types Show a Changing Rural Landscape
Identifies nonmetropolitan counties based on the industries driving income and earnings. Includes a national map showing nonmetro counties primarily dependent on farming, mining, manufacturing, recreation, and federal-state government. May be useful to those considering health-related policies or undertaking research projects where the type of industry that is predominant is relevant.
Author(s): Timothy Parker
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 12/2015
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Evaluating Tablet Computers as a Survey Tool in Rural Communities
Examines whether two survey methods, paper and pencil versus tablet computers, yield similar survey responses to common health questionnaires in undeserved rural communities. Examines perceptions of usability for each survey method and whether findings could be replicated between the survey methods.
Author(s): Steve M. Newell, Henrietta L. Logan, Yi Guo, John G. Marks, James A. Shepperd
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 31(1), 108-117
Date: 01/2015
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An Optimization Framework for Measuring Spatial Access over Healthcare Networks
Examines spatial access, a dimension of healthcare access, using an optimization framework involving supply, demand, and network structure. Includes optimization models, maps, and accessibility estimates.
Author(s): Zihao Li, Nicoleta Serban, Julie L. Swann
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 15, 273
Date: 2015
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