Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare needs and services
Telehealth FAQ Calendar Year 2026
Provides information on Medicare telehealth regulations and payment policy for calendar year 2026. Includes information on audio-only services, behavioral health services, direct supervision, and more.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
Provides information on Medicare telehealth regulations and payment policy for calendar year 2026. Includes information on audio-only services, behavioral health services, direct supervision, and more.
Date: 02/2026
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
The Interaction of Tobacco Retailer Density and Rurality with Tobacco Use Prevalence in Kentucky
Explores the relationship between the prevalence tobacco retailers and rates of tobacco use in rural counties in Kentucky. Highlights rates of smoking and smokeless tobacco use by county retailer density.
Author(s): Shyanika W. Rose, W. Jay Christian, Judy van de Venne, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70106
Date: 01/2026
view details
Explores the relationship between the prevalence tobacco retailers and rates of tobacco use in rural counties in Kentucky. Highlights rates of smoking and smokeless tobacco use by county retailer density.
Author(s): Shyanika W. Rose, W. Jay Christian, Judy van de Venne, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70106
Date: 01/2026
view details
Rural Health System Administrator Perspectives on Pharmacists' Role in Collaborative Drug Therapy Management
Examines the impact of pharmacist-led collaborative drug therapy modification (CDTM) on access to patient care in rural Georgia. Utilizes interview feedback from 7 primary healthcare system administrators regarding CDTM benefits and barriers, such as patient access to care, interprofessional collaboration among healthcare professionals, pharmacist knowledge and scope of practice, financial impacts, and more.
Author(s): Suzanne Whitten, Sharmon P. Osae, Russ Palmer, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 66(1), 102929
Date: 01/2026
view details
Examines the impact of pharmacist-led collaborative drug therapy modification (CDTM) on access to patient care in rural Georgia. Utilizes interview feedback from 7 primary healthcare system administrators regarding CDTM benefits and barriers, such as patient access to care, interprofessional collaboration among healthcare professionals, pharmacist knowledge and scope of practice, financial impacts, and more.
Author(s): Suzanne Whitten, Sharmon P. Osae, Russ Palmer, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 66(1), 102929
Date: 01/2026
view details
Bridging the Gap: Tackling General and HPV Vaccine Hesitancy in Rural and Low-Vaccination Areas to Improve HPV Vaccine Uptake
Examines HPV vaccine uptake and hesitancy among parents of children aged 9-17 living in rural Virginia. Utilizes survey data from 249 parents and analyzes their perspectives on vaccine hesitancy, safety, efficacy, and more.
Author(s): Shillpa Naavaal, Joseph Boyle, Tegwyn Brickhouse, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 13
Date: 01/2026
view details
Examines HPV vaccine uptake and hesitancy among parents of children aged 9-17 living in rural Virginia. Utilizes survey data from 249 parents and analyzes their perspectives on vaccine hesitancy, safety, efficacy, and more.
Author(s): Shillpa Naavaal, Joseph Boyle, Tegwyn Brickhouse, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 13
Date: 01/2026
view details
JCO Oncology Practice: Understaffed and Overbooked: The Problems with Maintaining Specialty Care in Rural Areas
Podcast episode discussing the results of a study on rural oncologists' experiences with specialist scarcity in rural areas, and details how oncology workforce shortages contribute to reduced access to care and increased physician burnout. Transcript available below audio player.
Author(s): Fumiko Chino, Erika Moen, Dan Zuckerman
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: JCO Oncology Practice
view details
Podcast episode discussing the results of a study on rural oncologists' experiences with specialist scarcity in rural areas, and details how oncology workforce shortages contribute to reduced access to care and increased physician burnout. Transcript available below audio player.
Author(s): Fumiko Chino, Erika Moen, Dan Zuckerman
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: JCO Oncology Practice
view details
Advancing Rural Cancer Control: A Portfolio Analysis of Research Funded by the National Cancer Institute, 2016–2024
Highlights a study exploring cancer control-focused grants funded by the National Cancer Institute for research opportunities to identify methods to close rural and urban disparities in cancer outcomes. Details rural grants from 2016 to 2024, their healthcare focus, and location of cancer treated.
Author(s): Anna Gaysynsky, Sallie J. Weaver, Robin C. Vanderpool, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70120
Date: 01/2026
view details
Highlights a study exploring cancer control-focused grants funded by the National Cancer Institute for research opportunities to identify methods to close rural and urban disparities in cancer outcomes. Details rural grants from 2016 to 2024, their healthcare focus, and location of cancer treated.
Author(s): Anna Gaysynsky, Sallie J. Weaver, Robin C. Vanderpool, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 42(1), e70120
Date: 01/2026
view details
Expanding Access to Harm Reduction in Rural Communities Through Community-Informed Public Health Vending Machines
Examines the role of public health vending machines (PHVMs) to address the opioid epidemic in rural counties in North Carolina. Utilizes a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to gather qualitative feedback among people with substance use experience regarding issues such as naloxone access, stigma, preferred PHVM locations and distribution models, and more.
Author(s): Lori Ann Eldridge, Christian Dotson, Lauren Harrell, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 23, 26
Date: 01/2026
view details
Examines the role of public health vending machines (PHVMs) to address the opioid epidemic in rural counties in North Carolina. Utilizes a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to gather qualitative feedback among people with substance use experience regarding issues such as naloxone access, stigma, preferred PHVM locations and distribution models, and more.
Author(s): Lori Ann Eldridge, Christian Dotson, Lauren Harrell, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 23, 26
Date: 01/2026
view details
Snapshot of Rural Health in Colorado, 2026
Provides an overview of rural health in Colorado. Includes data and statistics on a variety of indicators, such as education, poverty, rural economy, healthcare coverage and access, rural health information technology, behavioral health, oral health, and workforce shortages. Includes five regional snapshots from around the state that are free to download with name and organization affiliation.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Rural Health Center
view details
Provides an overview of rural health in Colorado. Includes data and statistics on a variety of indicators, such as education, poverty, rural economy, healthcare coverage and access, rural health information technology, behavioral health, oral health, and workforce shortages. Includes five regional snapshots from around the state that are free to download with name and organization affiliation.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Rural Health Center
view details
Health Panel Comment Letter - Contract Year 2027 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Programs
Offers comments in response to a November 28, 2025, proposed rule regarding policy and technical changes to the Medicare Advantage, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit, and Medicare Cost Plan programs for contract year 2027. Includes data on trends in chronic condition special need plans (C-SNPs) and institutional special needs plans (I-SNPs) between 2016 and 2025 and MA plan offerings by county metropolitan status.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
view details
Offers comments in response to a November 28, 2025, proposed rule regarding policy and technical changes to the Medicare Advantage, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit, and Medicare Cost Plan programs for contract year 2027. Includes data on trends in chronic condition special need plans (C-SNPs) and institutional special needs plans (I-SNPs) between 2016 and 2025 and MA plan offerings by county metropolitan status.
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
view details
Policy Brief: Teen Mental Health and School-Based Services in California
Presents data on rural and urban teen mental health and the availability of mental health services in schools in California, and provides recommendations for facilitating mental health service availability and use in schools. See Figure 12 within Full Report for additional data on health expenditures per student by level of rurality.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Public Policy Institute of California
view details
Presents data on rural and urban teen mental health and the availability of mental health services in schools in California, and provides recommendations for facilitating mental health service availability and use in schools. See Figure 12 within Full Report for additional data on health expenditures per student by level of rurality.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2026
Sponsoring organization: Public Policy Institute of California
view details