Conducting Rural Health Research, Needs Assessment, and Program Evaluation – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Conducting Rural Health Research, Needs Assessment, and Program Evaluation.
Minority Health and Health Disparities Strategic Plan 2021–2025
Planning document presenting goals to address health disparities through scientific research, activities that sustain research, and outreach efforts. Describes health disparity populations, including racial and ethnic minority, rural, less privileged socioeconomic status (SES), and sexual and gender minorities (SGM) populations. Outlines plans to implement research projects and activities, and discusses Leap Forward priority areas that will advance research methods in minority health and health disparities.
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), National Institutes of Health
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Planning document presenting goals to address health disparities through scientific research, activities that sustain research, and outreach efforts. Describes health disparity populations, including racial and ethnic minority, rural, less privileged socioeconomic status (SES), and sexual and gender minorities (SGM) populations. Outlines plans to implement research projects and activities, and discusses Leap Forward priority areas that will advance research methods in minority health and health disparities.
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), National Institutes of Health
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Preliminary Evaluation of Nonresponse Bias Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic on National Health Interview Survey Estimates, April-June 2020
Examines potential nonresponse bias for the National Health Interview Survey associated with a shift to telephone-only interviewing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Includes data on changes in response rates for metropolitan and nonmetro areas.
Author(s): James M. Dahlhamer, Matthew D. Bramlett, Aaron Maitland, Stephen J. Blumberg
Date: 02/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Examines potential nonresponse bias for the National Health Interview Survey associated with a shift to telephone-only interviewing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Includes data on changes in response rates for metropolitan and nonmetro areas.
Author(s): James M. Dahlhamer, Matthew D. Bramlett, Aaron Maitland, Stephen J. Blumberg
Date: 02/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Testing a Coaching Program to Help Adults with Diabetes Living in Rural Alabama Take Their Medicine as Directed
Presents a study of a medication adherence initiative in rural Alabama targeting predominantly African American adults with diabetes. Discusses research methods, community engagement and participation, data drawn from the study, and provides materials from the initiative in the appendix.
Author(s): Lynn J. Andreae, Susan J. Andreae, Andrea L. Cherrington, Joshua S. Richman, Monika M. Safford
Date: 2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
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Presents a study of a medication adherence initiative in rural Alabama targeting predominantly African American adults with diabetes. Discusses research methods, community engagement and participation, data drawn from the study, and provides materials from the initiative in the appendix.
Author(s): Lynn J. Andreae, Susan J. Andreae, Andrea L. Cherrington, Joshua S. Richman, Monika M. Safford
Date: 2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
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Population Health in Rural America in 2020: Proceedings of a Workshop
Presents the proceedings of the Population Health in Rural America 2020 workshop. Chapters examine rural demographics and social determinants of health, rural health and data challenges, rural and tribal healthcare, community health needs assessment, and rural health policy.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice
Date: 2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Presents the proceedings of the Population Health in Rural America 2020 workshop. Chapters examine rural demographics and social determinants of health, rural health and data challenges, rural and tribal healthcare, community health needs assessment, and rural health policy.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice
Date: 2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Hearing Norton Sound: Community Involvement in the Design of a Mixed Methods Community Randomized Trial in 15 Alaska Native Communities
Describes a community-based research project examining a telemedicine cell-phone based screening process to improve early detection and treatment of childhood hearing loss in rural Alaska. Community stakeholders assisted in shaping the research question, measurable outcomes, and project procedures. Serves as a model for community-based research in rural communities.
Author(s): Samantha Kleindienst Robler, S. Meade Inglis, Joseph J. Gallo, et al.
Citation: Research Involvement and Engagement, 6(67)
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
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Describes a community-based research project examining a telemedicine cell-phone based screening process to improve early detection and treatment of childhood hearing loss in rural Alaska. Community stakeholders assisted in shaping the research question, measurable outcomes, and project procedures. Serves as a model for community-based research in rural communities.
Author(s): Samantha Kleindienst Robler, S. Meade Inglis, Joseph J. Gallo, et al.
Citation: Research Involvement and Engagement, 6(67)
Date: 11/2020
Type: Document
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Recruitment Best Practices of a Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Randomised Control Trial in Rural Alaska Native Communities
Describes the research methods of the Healthy and Empowering Alaskan Lives Towards Healthy Hearts (HEALTHH) project, which recruited Indigenous participants from the 16 communities that make up the rural Norton Sound region of Alaska to study smoking behavior and chronic disease prevention efforts among Alaska Native populations. Explores special considerations for research involving remote Alaska Native communities and analyzes data related to recruitment best practices, staffing issues, and barriers to enrolling study participants.
Author(s): Mariah Knox, Jordan Skan, Neal L. Benowitz, Matthew Schnellbaecher, Judith J. Prochaska
Citation: International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 79(1), 1806639
Date: 08/2020
Type: Document
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Describes the research methods of the Healthy and Empowering Alaskan Lives Towards Healthy Hearts (HEALTHH) project, which recruited Indigenous participants from the 16 communities that make up the rural Norton Sound region of Alaska to study smoking behavior and chronic disease prevention efforts among Alaska Native populations. Explores special considerations for research involving remote Alaska Native communities and analyzes data related to recruitment best practices, staffing issues, and barriers to enrolling study participants.
Author(s): Mariah Knox, Jordan Skan, Neal L. Benowitz, Matthew Schnellbaecher, Judith J. Prochaska
Citation: International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 79(1), 1806639
Date: 08/2020
Type: Document
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National Hospital Care Survey Demonstration Projects: Opioid-Involved Emergency Department Visits, Hospitalizations, and Deaths
Demonstrates a method for linking three data sets to examine opioid-involved emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and mortality. Reported results are not nationally representative. Includes analysis of opioid-involved and nonopioid-involved ED-only visits for rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Merianne Rose Spencer, Lee Anne Flagg, Geoff Jackson, Carol DeFrances, Holly Hedegaard
Date: 06/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Demonstrates a method for linking three data sets to examine opioid-involved emergency department (ED) visits, hospitalizations, and mortality. Reported results are not nationally representative. Includes analysis of opioid-involved and nonopioid-involved ED-only visits for rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Merianne Rose Spencer, Lee Anne Flagg, Geoff Jackson, Carol DeFrances, Holly Hedegaard
Date: 06/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Use of Small-Area Estimates to Describe County-Level Geographic Variation in Prevalence of Extreme Obesity among US Adults
Study examining the variability in prevalence of extreme obesity at the county level, using small-area estimation to pinpoint specific areas of high and low prevalence. Uses data from the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and the U.S. Census Bureau to create county-level estimates for adults over 18 years of age. Discusses contrasting pictures of extreme obesity at a broad state level and at the county level, highlighting ranges of prevalence in select states and noting some areas of rural prevalence.
Author(s): Carrie W. Mills, Glen Johnson, Terry T. K. Huang, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 3(5), e204289
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
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Study examining the variability in prevalence of extreme obesity at the county level, using small-area estimation to pinpoint specific areas of high and low prevalence. Uses data from the 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and the U.S. Census Bureau to create county-level estimates for adults over 18 years of age. Discusses contrasting pictures of extreme obesity at a broad state level and at the county level, highlighting ranges of prevalence in select states and noting some areas of rural prevalence.
Author(s): Carrie W. Mills, Glen Johnson, Terry T. K. Huang, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 3(5), e204289
Date: 05/2020
Type: Document
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In Search of "Good" Rural Data: Measuring Rural Prosperity
Discusses the availability of data on rural communities, including economic, health, demographic, and geographic data, and issues that make rural data collection and reporting difficult. Compares 22 datasets, exploring what makes data collection difficult and what makes specific datasets challenging to work with. Addresses methods of locating good information in existing datasets, as well as steps toward improving data access.
Author(s): Corianne Payton Scally, Eric Burnstein, Matthew Gerken, Evelyn Immonen
Date: 04/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Aspen Institute, Housing Assistance Council, Urban Institute
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Discusses the availability of data on rural communities, including economic, health, demographic, and geographic data, and issues that make rural data collection and reporting difficult. Compares 22 datasets, exploring what makes data collection difficult and what makes specific datasets challenging to work with. Addresses methods of locating good information in existing datasets, as well as steps toward improving data access.
Author(s): Corianne Payton Scally, Eric Burnstein, Matthew Gerken, Evelyn Immonen
Date: 04/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Aspen Institute, Housing Assistance Council, Urban Institute
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Including Rural Populations in Research
Presents a video discussing the importance of researchers to include rural populations and rural programs in their healthcare research in order to achieve health equity and eliminate health disparities. Captions available in video player.
Author(s): Kristine Sande
Date: 02/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
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Presents a video discussing the importance of researchers to include rural populations and rural programs in their healthcare research in order to achieve health equity and eliminate health disparities. Captions available in video player.
Author(s): Kristine Sande
Date: 02/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:
- Evaluation methods and resources
- Needs assessment methods and resources
- Research methods and resources
Last Updated: 4/22/2024