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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Deaths from Alzheimer's Disease — United States, 1999–2014
Provides data on age-adjusted rates of Alzheimer's mortality. Compares rates in 1999 and 2014 by urban-rural classification as well as by age, sex, and state. Also includes a map showing county-level average annual age-adjusted death rates from Alzheimer's disease for 2005-2014.
Author(s): Christopher A. Taylor, Sujay F. Greenlund, Lisa C. McGuire, Hua Lu, Janet B. Croft
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 66(20), 521-526
Date: 05/2017
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Mountains, Plains, Cities, Schools: An Analysis of Colorado's Rural and Urban School-Based Health Centers
Examines important aspects of Colorado's school-based health centers (SBHCs). Includes information on program growth, funding sources, populations served, and service offerings. Uses statewide statistics to compare urban versus rural SBHCs and illustrate how SBHCs help fill critical healthcare gaps within the state.
Date: 05/2017
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Health Institute
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Changes in the Supply of Physicians with a DEA DATA Waiver to Prescribe Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder
Data brief describing changes in access to waivered physicians from 2012 to 2016. Features a county-level map and statistics with breakdowns by urban areas and three levels of rural areas.
Author(s): C. Holly A. Andrilla, Cynthia Coulthard, Eric H. Larson
Date: 05/2017
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Rural Family Medicine Outcomes at the University of Minnesota Medical School Duluth
Analysis of 1972-2009 graduates of the Duluth medical school, an institution emphasizing family medicine and service to American Indian communities, showing how sex, age, and hometown relate to family medicine specialty, rural practice, and rural family medicine practice. Includes demographic statistics by decade, with breakdowns by rural and urban hometowns.
Author(s): Anna Fuglestad, Jacob Prunuske, Ronald Regal, et al.
Citation: Family Medicine, 49(5), 388-393
Date: 05/2017
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Surgeries in Hospital-Based Ambulatory Surgery and Hospital Inpatient Settings, 2014
Provides national data on surgeries performed in hospital inpatient and hospital-based ambulatory surgery (outpatient) settings. Table 1 includes data for rural, urban teaching, and urban nonteaching hospitals. Revised February 2018 and July 2020.
Author(s): Claudia A. Steiner, Zeynal Karaca, Brian J. Moore, Melina C. Imshaug, Gary Pickens
Date: 05/2017
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Heroin, Methamphetamine Use and Prescription Drug Abuse in Kentucky
Results of the 2016 survey from the Kentucky Health Issues Poll concerning the impact of drug abuse on respondents' family and friends. Includes breakdowns by rural, urban, and suburban counties.
Date: 05/2017
Sponsoring organizations: Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, Interact for Health
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The Role of Public Versus Private Health Insurance in Ensuring Health Care Access & Affordability for Low-Income Rural Children
Reports on the rural-urban differences in healthcare access for children with public health insurance versus private insurance, and how families perceive affordability of healthcare when enrolled in Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and private insurance plans.
Author(s): Erika C. Ziller, Jennifer D. Lenardson, Amanda R. Burgess
Date: 05/2017
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Improvements in Colorectal Cancer Incidence Not Experienced by Nonmetropolitan Women: A Population-Based Study From Utah
Study of colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and mortality in Utah, comparing rural and metropolitan populations using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program. Examines periodic CRC disparities from 1991-2010 by location and sex. Discusses cultural factors impacting CRC screening and strategies for increasing access to screening.
Author(s): Brynn Fowler, N. Jewel Samadder, Deanna Kepka, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 34(2), 155-161
Date: 04/2017
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Older Rural- and Urban-Dwelling Appalachian Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment
Study comparing Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) symptom severity for older urban and rural residents of Appalachia when seeking neuropsychological testing. Discusses prevalence of MCI and its association with Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Analyzes data from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Uniform Data Set for a sample of 289 patients.
Author(s): Meghan K. Mattos, Beth E. Snitz, Jennifer H. Lingler, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 33(2), 208-216
Date: 04/2017
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The Influence of the Degree of Rurality on EMR Adoption, by Physician Specialty
Study examining the adoption of electronic medical record (EMR) technology based on degree of rurality using Rural-Urban Continuum Codes. Analyzes 2012 data from over 270,000 physician practices on rates of EMR technology adoption and provider specializations. Presents data based on average daily patient volume and type of provider, including nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
Author(s): Brian E. Whitacre
Citation: Health Services Research, 52(2), 616-633
Date: 04/2017
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