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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Statistics and data

Jul 1, 2024 - The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is allowing an additional 30 days for comments on proposed updates to the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) – Household and Medical Provider Components (MEPS-HC). Proposed changes include wording changes that will help identify telehealth utilization and access, as well as maintain consistency between Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems 5.1 and MEPS-HC questionnaire items. Comments are due by July 31, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
Jun 19, 2024 - Analyzes Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data to evaluate nonmetropolitan employment in 2023. Offers comparisons with 2019 to evaluate the impact of the pandemic. Includes rural and urban comparisons, rural industry comparisons, and rural regional comparisons.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Jun 13, 2024 - Summarizes research finding mortality disparities for residents of Appalachian Kentucky with colorectal cancer compared to both the rest of the state and nationally. Describes potential factors contributing to the disparity including access to healthcare, lifestyle factors, and lack of education on colorectal cancer.
Source: UK Now
Jun 10, 2024 - Offers analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs data to show rural employment trends over time. Discusses impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2008 recession. Includes rural and urban comparisons and county-level data.
Source: The Daily Yonder
Jun 7, 2024 - Presents an overview of new reports from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services showing declines in the uninsurance rate among minority communities between 2010 and 2022. Highlights additional funding for navigators, who assist individuals with healthcare enrollment, with a focus on underserved populations.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Jun 6, 2024 - Highlights a shortage of psychiatrists and mental health services in rural north Florida. Discusses services offered by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), which reaches rural populations through a variety of free online support groups. Explores additional efforts to increase access to services in rural areas, including the integration of mental health services into primary care and a nonprofit clinic network staffed by psychiatric nurse practitioners.
Source: WCTV
May 28, 2024 - Notice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) seeking comments on a proposed information collection titled "Needle Exchange Utilization Survey (NEXUS)." The purpose of NEXUS is to develop a surveillance system to monitor drug use, prevention behaviors, and the infectious disease consequences of drug use in select urban and non-urban areas of the U.S. impacted by the opioid crisis. Comments are due by July 29, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
May 28, 2024 - Summarizes the findings of a recent study examining differences in physician associate (PA) practice by rurality. Notes that PAs practicing in isolated settings were the most likely to work in multiple clinical positions and offer services via telehealth.
Source: Clinical Advisor
May 23, 2024 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) seeking comments on the reestablishment of a matching program between CMS and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) titled "Identification and Recovery of Duplicate Payments for Medical Claims." This matching program will assist CMS and VHA in identifying those VHA-enrolled beneficiaries who are also enrolled as Medicare beneficiaries; the specific claims where VHA and CMS made duplicate payments for the same healthcare services; and potential fraud, waste, and abuse. Comments are due by June 24, 2024.
Source: Federal Register
May 22, 2024 - The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is seeking comment on an information collection request titled "National Survey of Organ Donation Attitudes and Practices, OMB No. 0915-0290—Revision." The information collected will facilitate appropriate tailoring and targeting of donation outreach messages and strategies, provide an overall assessment of the impact of previous outreach messages and strategies, and inform the development of policy related to organ donation and transplantation. Comments are due by June 21, 2024.
Source: Federal Register