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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health conditions

Loud and Clear: Improving Access to Hearing Care in Rural America
Discusses barriers to rural hearing care access and the importance of hearing conservation. Features a hearing clinic in South Dakota, a telehealth program in Alaska, and a nationally available agriculture safety program working to address rural hearing care.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Mortality for Time-Sensitive Conditions at Urban vs Rural Hospitals During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Analyzed hospitalizations in 3,813 rural and urban facilities to determine patient mortality outcomes for non-COVID-19 time sensitive conditions before and during the pandemic. Discusses rural and urban disparities.
Author(s): H. Joanna Jiang, Rachel M. Henke, Kathryn R. Fingar, Lan Liang, Denis Agniel
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(3)
Date: 03/2024
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COVID-19 Affected Rural and Urban Hospital Uncompensated Care
Offers data comparing the impact of COVID-19 on uncompensated hospital care on rural and urban facilities using Medicare Cost Report data for acute care hospitals. Discusses uncompensated care trends over time and analyzes operating expenses.
Author(s): Emmaline Keesee
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
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Kentucky Outreach Service Kiosk (KyOSK) Study Protocol: A Community-Level, Controlled Quasi-Experimental, Type 1 Hybrid Effectiveness Study to Assess Implementation, Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of a Community-Tailored Harm Reduction Kiosk on HIV, HCV and Overdose Risk in Rural Appalachia
Reports on study design and implementation of a kiosk-based harm reduction intervention focused on HIV, hepatitis C, and overdose risk in rural Appalachia. Describes characteristics of two selected Appalachian Kentucky counties, eligibility criteria, data collection procedures, and study outcome measurement.
Author(s): April M. Young, Jennifer R. Havens, Hannah L.F. Cooper, et al.
Citation: BMJ Open, 14(3), e083983
Date: 03/2024
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Rural Women Have a Prolonged Recovery Process after Esophagectomy
Examines esophagectomy treatment and outcomes among rural and urban women and men using 2003-2022 patient care data from a high-volume cancer center. Discusses sex-based and geographic disparities in esophageal cancer surgery recovery and care access, and highlights the need for interventions to improve care for rural women.
Author(s): Julia Schroeder, Kiran Lagisetty, William Lynch, et al.
Citation: Cancers, 16(6), 1078
Date: 03/2024
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Increased Migration from Urban Areas Spurs Rural Population Growth, While Urban Migration Growth Is International
Bar chart comparing net migration changes between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas between 2019 and 2022. Discusses sources of migration increase and the impact of COVID-19 on the trends.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Breast Cancer Screening among Medicare Advantage Enrollees with Dementia
Compares rates of mammogram screening among screening-eligible women with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) using 2012-2019 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey data. Compares screening rates of Medicare Advantage and fee-for-service Medicare enrollees, with data breakdowns by race and ethnicity, rural versus urban status, and more. Identifies potential risks related to over-screening.
Author(s): Eli Raver, Wendy Y. Xu, Jean Jung, Sunmin Lee
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 24, 283
Date: 03/2024
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The Nature of the Rural-Urban Mortality Gap
Examines rural-urban mortality disparities in the working-age U.S. population. Analyzes the natural-cause mortality (NCM) rate with 1999-2019 data from the Centers for Disease Control's wide-ranging online data for epidemiology research (WONDER) database according to sex, race and ethnicity, health condition, region, and state.
Author(s): Kelsey L. Thomas, Elizabeth A. Dobis, David A. McGranahan
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Nutritional Guidance on Fitness Centers' Websites in Illinois: An Automated Content Analysis
Examines the nutritional content on fitness websites in Illinois as well as metro versus nonmetro statistics related to body mass index (BMI), diet, physical activity, and more.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Cross-Sectional Analysis of Primary Care Clinics' Policies, Practices, and Availability of Patient Support Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines healthcare access related to missed or no-show appointments, with a focus on patient barriers, no-show policies, and patient support services. Analyzes survey responses from Nebraska primary care clinics, examining rural versus urban differences in clinic ability to address social determinants of health (SDOH).
Author(s): Kendra L. Ratnapradipa, Runqiu Wang, Josiane Kabayundo, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 24, 279
Date: 03/2024
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