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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

The Future of Broadband Affordability
Presents a recording of a May 2, 2024, hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband. Describes federal approaches to increase broadband access and affordability. Discusses the state of broadband affordability programs, the impact of a potential lapse or end of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), and strategies to address shortfalls in broadband affordability programs.
Additional links: Blair Levin, New Street Research - Testimony, Jennifer Case Nevarez, Community Learning Network - Testimony, Kathryn de Wit, Pew Charitable Trusts - Testimony
Date: 05/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
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Traffic Safety Facts, 2021 Data: Race and Ethnicity
National data on traffic fatalities by race and ethnicity, based on data from official death certificates. Features statistics from 2017-2021 with breakdowns by vehicle type, restraint use, alcohol-impaired driving, speeding, and rural or urban location.
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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The State of Medicare Supplement Coverage: Trends in Enrollment and Demographics
Provides an overview of Medicare Supplement, or Medigap, coverage and coverage options. Examines the demographics of Medicare enrollees with Medicare Supplement policies and enrollment trends. Includes demographic data on rural Medicare Supplement policyholders.
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: AHIP
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Preventable Premature Deaths from the Five Leading Causes of Death in Nonmetropolitan and Metropolitan Counties, United States, 2010–2022
Analyzes National Vital Statistics System mortality data between 2010 and 2022 to find the 5 leading causes of preventable deaths for people less than 80 years old. Discusses trends across time in metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore regions and the impact of COVID-19 on the findings. Offers recommendations for future data analysis.
Author(s): Macarena C. García, Lauren M. Rossen, Kevin Matthews, et al.
Citation: MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 73(2), 1-11
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Rural-Urban Disparities in the Availability of Hospital-Based Screening, Medications for Opioid Use Disorder, and Addiction Consult Services
Compares availability of opioid use disorder screening, medication, and addiction consult services in hospitals by level of rurality. Utilizes data from the 2021 American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey of Hospitals. Discusses access barriers to opioid use disorder services in rural areas.
Author(s): Berkeley Franz, Cory E. Cronin, Zoe Lindenfield, et al.
Citation: Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment, 160, 209280
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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Medicare Telehealth Trends Report
Describes the trends of telehealth utilization among Medicare beneficiaries between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2023. Presents data on the percentage of Medicare beneficiaries that used a telehealth service by calendar quarter and by race/ethnicity, Medicaid eligibility, type of Medicare eligibility, sex, age group, and rural/urban residence.
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Rural-Urban Differences in Long-Term Mortality and Readmission Following COVID-19 Hospitalization, 2020 to 2023
Analyzes rural-urban disparities in mortality and hospital readmission among 9,325 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 from March 2020 to July 2022, with follow-up data through May 2023. Includes data on demographic and clinical factors associated with rural dwelling.
Author(s): Mohammed Yousufuddin, Maryam Mahmood, Ebrahim Barkoudah, et al.
Citation: Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 11(5)
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
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Primary Care Providers' Experiences Treating Opioid Use Disorder Using Telehealth in the Height of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Presents a study of the experiences of primary care providers who used telehealth for opioid use disorder treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Draws on the insights of participants from rural and urban counties in Kentucky and Arkansas and compares the experiences of rural and urban providers.
Author(s): Sarah Alexandra Marshall, Lachan E. Siebenmorgen, Nickolas Zaller, et al.
Citation: Journal of Primary Care and Community Health, 15
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
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Symptoms of the Disease: The Epidemiological, Economic, and Public Health Impacts of COVID-19 on the Battle Born State
Reports on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nevada between March 2020 and December 2022 on various healthcare, economic, and sociodemographic indicators. Includes rural and urban comparisons related to case and mortality rates, telehealth utilization, homelessness, and child welfare.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Nevada Department of Health and Human Services
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An Update to Rural Urban Continuum Codes
Discusses various rural definitions and explains changes to the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural-Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC). Includes map of Minnesota depicting changes in RUCC county categorizations from 2013 to 2023 as well as a list of Minnesota counties that had population and corresponding RUCC changes.
Author(s): Kelly Asche
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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