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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health conditions

Wrong-Way Driving and Injury Risk on a Rural Four-Lane Corridor: A Descriptive and Spatial Analysis of US Highway 10, 2019-2024
Examines crash, injury, and mortality characteristics along a rural highway in Wisconsin. Analyzes 239 motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) from 2019-2024 according to environmental conditions, manner of collision, use of substances, and injury or death. Discusses geographic disparities in MVC fatalities and access to emergency care, as well as the role of public safety planning.
Author(s): Heather Rhodes-Lyons, Rachel Symons, Gina Brandl, Erin Klarr, Lucy Martinek
Citation: Wisconsin Medical Journal, 125(4), 445-450
Date: 11/2026
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Rural-Urban Differences for Integrated First Responder and Drone Automated External Defibrillator Delivery in North Carolina
Models the impact of equipping first responders with automated external defibrillators (AEDs) or utilizing drone networks on median AED arrival time in rural and urban areas of North Carolina. Compares interventions against historical response times using 2013-2019 Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES) data.
Author(s): Jamal Chu, K.H. Benjamin Leung, Audrey L. Blewer, et al.
Citation: American Heart Journal, 303, 107604
Date: 11/2026
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Differential Effects of Social Determinants on Cancer Survival by Age at Diagnosis: A Population-Based Study in Alabama
Examines whether the impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) on cancer survival differs by age at diagnosis. Utilizes 2010-2019 Alabama Statewide Cancer Registry data on adults diagnosed with breast, prostate, colorectal, or lung cancers and analyzes survival rate alongside social vulnerability, rurality, and insurance status.
Author(s): Mackenzie E. Fowler, Geetanjali Saini, Elizabeth Baker, Mahak Bhargava, Ritu Aneja
Citation: Journal of Geriatric Oncology, 17(8), 103094
Date: 11/2026
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Community Readiness and Feasibility of the Exercising Together© Program for Cancer Dyads in Underserved Oregon Counties
Assesses community readiness and program feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a live-remote exercise program for cancer survivors and their partners in rural and high or persistent poverty counties in Oregon.
Author(s): Deanne Tibbitts, Christopher Chalmers, Sydnee Stoyles, et al.
Citation: Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 20, 2095-2105
Date: 10/2026
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Patient Preferences for Portable Versus Table-Mounted Visual Field Devices in Rural Alabama: A Mixed Methods Study Within a Telemedicine Setting
Evaluates patient preference and satisfaction with the use of table-mounted, tablet-based, and virtual reality-based visual field screening devices among 271 patients receiving telemedicine services at 3 Federally Qualified Health Centers in rural Alabama.
Author(s): Ellen K. Antwi-Adjei, Sourav Datta, Christopher A. Girkin, et al.
Citation: PLOS One, 21(10), e0348821
Date: 10/2026
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Disparities in Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Rural Versus Urban Michigan
Compares rural and urban cancer incidence and cancer-specific mortality in Michigan, using 2017-2021 data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Includes breakdowns by cancer type for 10 leading cancers, as well as incidence by Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) stage for colorectal, female breast, lung and bronchus, and prostate cancer.
Author(s): Reba Dhillon, Stephanie Mackenzie, Austin H. Qasawa, et al.
Citation: Cancer Medicine, 15(11), e72396
Date: 10/2026
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Rural Skin Cancer Patients Tend to 'Slip Through the Cracks.' These Programs Are Trying to Change That
Provides a brief overview of barriers to accessing dermatology healthcare services and highlights programs to improve dermatology care in rural areas. Features a mobile unit offering skin cancer screenings and other dermatology services in rural areas of California, Idaho, Illinois, Oregon, and Utah; a rural dermatology residency training track in Mississippi; and a Wisconsin program that provides dermatology training for rural primary care providers, equipping them with the hands-on skills to provide basic care when access to a specialist is limited.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Rural America Grew During the Pandemic Era Because of Migration Gains
An issue brief that examines migration patterns from 2010 to 2025 across the rural continuum and county types. Discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality and population growth.
Author(s): Kenneth Johnson
Date: 10/2026
Sponsoring organization: Carsey School of Public Policy
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Patient-Provider Distance in Medicare Outpatient Oncology Telehealth Versus Office Visits, 2021‐2023: Cross-Sectional Claims Analysis
Presents a study exploring the use of telehealth to extend the patient-provider geographic reach for outpatient oncology-related visits in patients aged 66 or older. Draws data from Medicare Fee-For-Service claims to compare patient-provider distance for in-office and telehealth oncology visits, by rurality and U.S. Census region.
Author(s): Lingbo Liu, Tracy Onega, Erika L. Moen, et al.
Citation: JMIR Medical Informatics, 14, e95370
Date: 10/2026
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Physical Activity and Perceptions of the Community Walking Environment Among Cancer Survivors, National Health Interview Survey, 2024
Examines how physical activity among cancer survivors differs by clinical and demographic characteristics and by perceptions of the local walking environment, using 2024 National Health Interview Survey data. See Table 2 for data on leisure-time physical activity among cancer survivors by rurality, among other factors.
Author(s): Jonathan Bryant-Genevier, Michael Boring, Elizabeth A. Rohan, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 23, 260220
Date: 10/2026
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