This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: COVID-19

COVID-19 Mortality Rates across Noncore, Micropolitan, and Metropolitan Counties by Community Characteristics, December 2020-January 2021
Explores differences in COVID-19 mortality rates across rural-urban designations and stratifications by geography, county-level sociodemographic factors, and county-level healthcare factors. Features statistics on mortality rates by rurality and U.S. census region, racial/ethnic composition, and ICU and nursing home bed density, as well as state-level maps showing mortality rates per 100,000 with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas.
Author(s): Whitney E. Zahnd, Khyathi Gadag, Fred Ullrich, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
view details
Examining Rural Telehealth During the Public Health Emergency
Examines the use of telehealth visits for rural and urban fee-for-service Medicare enrollees between January 2018 and June 2021. Compares telehealth utilization before the COVID-19 pandemic (2018-2019) with telehealth utilization from January 2020 to June 2021. Describes the demographic, geographical, and technological characteristics of telehealth services that were associated with increased telehealth use. Explores the extent to which the increased implementation and utilization of telehealth during the PHE impacted the cost of patient care and provider utilization.
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS Alliance to Modernize Healthcare
view details
NSDUH (National Survey on Drug Use and Health) Detailed Tables - 2021
Presents 2021 survey data, including revisions, on use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, trends in substance use disorder and mental health, and access to treatment for youth and adults. Features statistics for a variety of demographic and geographic characteristics, including rural versus urban status. Includes information on substance use and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
view details
Travel Times to Facilities Offering Oral Medication Therapy for COVID-19
Results of a study exploring accessibility of oral COVID-19 therapeutics across the United States, by examining travel times to places where these medications are available. Features a county-level map with shadings showing ranges of travel time by census tract.
Author(s): Peter A. Kahn, Xiaohan Ying, Walter S. Mathis
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(1)
Date: 01/2023
view details
Racial and Ethnic Differences in COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage Among Children and Adolescents Aged 5–17 Years and Parental Intent to Vaccinate Their Children — National Immunization Survey–Child COVID Module, United States, December 2020–September 2022
Reports on racial and ethnic differences in COVID-19 vaccination status and parental intent to vaccinate for children and adolescents aged 5-17 years. Includes data by urbanicity for those living in metropolitan and nonmetro areas.
Author(s): Madeleine R. Valier, Laurie D. Elam-Evans, Yi Mu, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 72(1), 1-8
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details
Neighborhood Greenspace and Changes in Pediatric Obesity During COVID-19
Examines rates of pediatric obesity before the COVID-19 pandemic and during the pandemic as related to normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) or greenspace. Analyzes patient electronic health records (EHRs) of 81,418 children who had a pediatric visit between June 2019 and December 2019 and then again between June 2020 and December 2020. Includes demographic breakdowns of EHR patients by age, sex, race/ethnicity, insurance type, neighborhood measures such as social/economic deprivation and supermarket access, and urban, suburban, or rural location.
Author(s): Stephanie L. Mayne, Shannon Kelleher, Chloe Hannan, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 64(1), 33-41
Date: 01/2023
view details
Rural Healthy People 2030
Presents literature reviews of 20 rural public health priority topics identified through a survey of rural stakeholders. Reviews the scope of each topic, discusses related goals and objectives from the national Healthy People 2030 initiative, identifies affected populations, highlights interventions and solutions, and more. Topics include mental health, substance use, social determinants of health, access to care, quality of care, chronic health conditions, and COVID-19.
Author(s): Alva O. Ferdinand, Jane N. Bolin, Timothy Callaghan, et al.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
view details
Assessing the 2020 Census: Final Report
Evaluates the quality of the 2020 Census, highlights successful innovations, describes the impact of COVID-19, and offers recommendations for planning and carrying out the 2030 Census. Describes data quality concerns, particularly for areas with high concentration of American Indian and Alaska Native populations among other races and ethnicities. Discusses the challenge of balancing the need for accurate data with the privacy concerns of small areas and population groups.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
view details
Telehealth and In-Person Behavioral Health Services in Rural Communities Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Multisite Prospective Cohort Study
Evaluated telehealth and in-person behavioral healthcare encounters in 95 rural communities before and during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency to identify changes in healthcare delivery. Discusses specific diagnoses, type of healthcare service, and clinician type.
Author(s): Marcia M. Ward, Fred Ullrich, Divya Bhagianadh, et al.
Citation: JMIR Mental Health, 10, e47047
Date: 2023
view details
A Population Health Workforce to Meet 21st Century Challenges and Opportunities: Proceedings of a Workshop
Proceedings from a February 28, 2022 workshop exploring challenges faced by public health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, renewed policymaker attention, and expenditures directed to supporting the public health workforce. Intended to showcase the training, roles of, and setting for population health workers. Includes information focused on tribal communities in chapters 3 and 4.
Author(s): Roundtable on Population Health Improvement
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
view details