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.
Measuring the Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Diné and White Mountain Apache School Personnel, Families, and Students: Protocol for a Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study
Examines the protocol for the "Project SafeSchools" (PSS) study, which aims to analyze barriers, facilitators, and overall educational, social-emotional, and health impacts of reopening schools on the Diné Nation and the White Mountain Apache Tribal lands after COVID-19 closures. Discusses recruitment, participatory research model, community engagement, and data collection methods.
Author(s): Joshuaa D. Allison-Burbank, Allison Ingalls, Paul Rebman, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 22, 1481
Date: 08/2022
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Examines the protocol for the "Project SafeSchools" (PSS) study, which aims to analyze barriers, facilitators, and overall educational, social-emotional, and health impacts of reopening schools on the Diné Nation and the White Mountain Apache Tribal lands after COVID-19 closures. Discusses recruitment, participatory research model, community engagement, and data collection methods.
Author(s): Joshuaa D. Allison-Burbank, Allison Ingalls, Paul Rebman, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 22, 1481
Date: 08/2022
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Translating Complex Research Messaging for Rural Communities
A brief video describing how a research team helped make information on comparative clinical effectiveness research and patient-centered outcomes research accessible to a rural audience.
Author(s): Laverne Morrow Carter
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
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A brief video describing how a research team helped make information on comparative clinical effectiveness research and patient-centered outcomes research accessible to a rural audience.
Author(s): Laverne Morrow Carter
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
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Perspectives of Region XI Head Start Federal, Research, and Program Partners in Carrying out a National Study of American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Children, Families, and Programs
Explores the relationship between research and federal stakeholders and Region XI Head Start, which is the region managed by federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes. Discusses the process of including AI/AN representation in Head Start data and the origin of the AIAN Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (AIAN FACES). Includes reflection on the need for culturally appropriate research practices and data collection in AI/AN populations.
Author(s): Michelle Sarche, Lizabeth M. Malone, Laura Hoard, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Community Psychology, 69(1-2), 239-253
Date: 03/2022
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Explores the relationship between research and federal stakeholders and Region XI Head Start, which is the region managed by federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) tribes. Discusses the process of including AI/AN representation in Head Start data and the origin of the AIAN Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (AIAN FACES). Includes reflection on the need for culturally appropriate research practices and data collection in AI/AN populations.
Author(s): Michelle Sarche, Lizabeth M. Malone, Laura Hoard, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Community Psychology, 69(1-2), 239-253
Date: 03/2022
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Codesigning a Community-Based Participatory Research Project to Assess Tribal Perspectives on Privacy and Health Data Sharing: A Report from the Strong Heart Study
Presents findings from a workshop on health data privacy and sharing preferences with 14 tribal leaders whose communities are involved in the Strong Hearts Study. Discusses protocol for consulting tribal communities prior to engaging in biomedical research, issues of data safety, and respecting the distinct preferences of communities.
Author(s): Cynthia Triplett, Burgundy J. Fletcher, Riley I Taitingfong, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 29(6), 1120-1127
Date: 03/2022
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Presents findings from a workshop on health data privacy and sharing preferences with 14 tribal leaders whose communities are involved in the Strong Hearts Study. Discusses protocol for consulting tribal communities prior to engaging in biomedical research, issues of data safety, and respecting the distinct preferences of communities.
Author(s): Cynthia Triplett, Burgundy J. Fletcher, Riley I Taitingfong, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 29(6), 1120-1127
Date: 03/2022
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Engaging Communities Through Issues Forums: A How-To Guide for Onsite and Online Community Engagement
Offers guidance on community forums as a technical education tool, including information on planning and hosting a forum, strategies for engaging communities, and resources to support committees and stakeholders. Features examples from forums on farm vitality, farmer mental health, and family health. Requires email registration to view the guide as a flipbook, with a PDF download option at the bottom of the screen.
Author(s): Maria Pippidis, Bonnie Braun, Jessie Ketterman, Shoshanah Inwood, Nicole Wright
Date: 03/2022
Sponsoring organization: Cooperative Extension Service
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Offers guidance on community forums as a technical education tool, including information on planning and hosting a forum, strategies for engaging communities, and resources to support committees and stakeholders. Features examples from forums on farm vitality, farmer mental health, and family health. Requires email registration to view the guide as a flipbook, with a PDF download option at the bottom of the screen.
Author(s): Maria Pippidis, Bonnie Braun, Jessie Ketterman, Shoshanah Inwood, Nicole Wright
Date: 03/2022
Sponsoring organization: Cooperative Extension Service
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Population Denominator Data Sources and Data for Use with HCUP Databases (Updated with 2021 Population Data)
Identifies sources of population data that can be used with Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) databases to calculate rates of hospital care events per population. Includes rural-urban population data sources. Appendix A, Tables A.6 and A.7 provide U.S. population figures from 2000 through 2021 for a 4-category urban-rural definition and a 6-category urban-rural definition.
Date: 2022
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Identifies sources of population data that can be used with Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) databases to calculate rates of hospital care events per population. Includes rural-urban population data sources. Appendix A, Tables A.6 and A.7 provide U.S. population figures from 2000 through 2021 for a 4-category urban-rural definition and a 6-category urban-rural definition.
Date: 2022
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Accelerating the Use of Findings from Patient-Centered Outcomes Research in Clinical Practice to Improve Health and Health Care
Offers an overview of presentations and discussion from a workshop series on patient-centered outcomes research. Topics include research methods and implementation, collaboration to support health equity, research sustainability, disseminating findings, and informing evidence-based policy making.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2022
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Offers an overview of presentations and discussion from a workshop series on patient-centered outcomes research. Topics include research methods and implementation, collaboration to support health equity, research sustainability, disseminating findings, and informing evidence-based policy making.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2022
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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A Cross-Sectional Survey of Potential Factors, Motivations, and Barriers Influencing Research Participation and Retention Among People Who Use Drugs in the Rural USA
Study examining research participation and retention among rural people who use drugs (PWUD) based on surveys of 255 research cohort members from Oregon, Kentucky, and Ohio. Examines participant demographics, drug use history, factors influencing research participation, and barriers and motivators related to research retention.
Author(s): Angela T. Hetrick, April M. Young, Miriam R. Elman, et al.
Citation: Trials, 22, 948
Date: 12/2021
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Study examining research participation and retention among rural people who use drugs (PWUD) based on surveys of 255 research cohort members from Oregon, Kentucky, and Ohio. Examines participant demographics, drug use history, factors influencing research participation, and barriers and motivators related to research retention.
Author(s): Angela T. Hetrick, April M. Young, Miriam R. Elman, et al.
Citation: Trials, 22, 948
Date: 12/2021
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Defining "Rural" for the Study on Human Services Programs in Rural Contexts
Report describing the impacts of rural definitions on research design and methods for a study of human services delivery in rural areas. Addresses U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, rural regions, and the limitations of certain definitions.
Author(s): Dallas Elgin, James Murdoch, Corianne Payton Scally, Heather Hahn
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organizations: 2M Research, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Urban Institute
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Report describing the impacts of rural definitions on research design and methods for a study of human services delivery in rural areas. Addresses U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural-Urban Continuum Codes, rural regions, and the limitations of certain definitions.
Author(s): Dallas Elgin, James Murdoch, Corianne Payton Scally, Heather Hahn
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organizations: 2M Research, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Urban Institute
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At the Heart of Community-Engaged Research in Halifax County, N.C.
Describes a research project through North Carolina Central University (NCCU) that examines health disparities in rural Halifax County, NC and that places emphasis on building trust between researchers and the community. Discusses community-engaged research methodologies and the process of training researchers to conduct such research.
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
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Describes a research project through North Carolina Central University (NCCU) that examines health disparities in rural Halifax County, NC and that places emphasis on building trust between researchers and the community. Discusses community-engaged research methodologies and the process of training researchers to conduct such research.
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
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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: 8/14/2025