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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences

Rural Definition of Health: A Systematic Literature Review
Review of 34 scholarly articles assessing how rural residents in the United States, Canada, and Australia define health. Includes tables with brief descriptions of each article, including author, study design, study population, findings, and quotations from participants and investigators.
Author(s): Charles Gessert, Stephen Waring, Lisa Bailey-Davis, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 15(378), 1-14
Date: 2015
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Geographic and Specialty Distribution of US Physicians Trained to Treat Opioid Use Disorder
Illustrates the geographic distribution (rural-urban status) and the availability of physicians who receive waivers from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to prescribe medication and to treat patients with opioid use disorder.
Author(s): Roger A. Rosenblatt, C. Holly A. Andrilla, Mary Catlin, Eric H. Larson
Citation: Annals of Family Medicine, 13(1), 23-26
Date: 2015
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Behavioral Health and Service Use Among Civilian Wives of Service Members and Veterans: Evidence from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health
Analyzes rural-urban differences in behavioral health and service use among civilian wives of military veterans and service members.
Author(s): Joshua Breslau, Ryan Andrew Brown
Date: 2015
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage and 30 Day Rehospitalizations: An Analysis of Medicare Data
Examines the association between neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage and 30-day rehospitalizations for patients discharged with congestive heart failure, pneumonia, or acute myocardial infarction. Includes data by location of patient residence for small town/rural, large town, suburban, and urban core areas.
Author(s): Amy J.H. Kind, Steve Jencks, Jane Brock, et al.
Citation: Annals of Internal Medicine, 161(11), 765-774
Date: 12/2014
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Cancer Disparities Among Alaska Native People, 1970-2011
Examines cancer incidence and mortality data for Alaska Native (AN) people in different categories and varying year ranges from 1970 through 2011, and compares cancer rates for AN and U.S. White populations. Shows that cancer mortality rates among AN people exceeded rates among White people for all cancers combined, for cancers of the lung, stomach, pancreas, kidney, and cervix, and for colorectal cancer.
Author(s): Janet J. Kelly, Anne P. Lanier, Teresa Schade, Jennifer Brantley, B. Michael Starkey
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 11
Date: 12/2014
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Impact of Home Health Payment Rebasing on Beneficiary Access to and Quality of Care
Measures the impact of base-payment reductions mandated by the Affordable Care Act on beneficiary access to and the quality of care provided by home health agencies. Reports findings across geographic area (rural and urban).
Date: 12/2014
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Utilization of Intensive Care Services, 2011
Provides data on utilization of intensive care services across 29 states. Table 3 provides information on ICU utilization by hospital characteristics, including metropolitan or nonmetropolitan location and hospital designation (Critical Access or teaching).
Author(s): Marguerite L. Barrett, Mark W. Smith, Anne Elixhauser, Leah S. Honigman, Jesse M. Pines
Date: 12/2014
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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All Rural Places Are Not Created Equal: Revisiting the Rural Mortality Penalty in the United States
Examines disparities in mortality between rural and urban areas in the U.S. by measuring disparities across different levels of rurality. Includes data for rural populations and excess deaths. Table 2 covers mortality by percent African American, percent in poverty, percent age 65 years and older, region, emergency department visits, hospital physicians, and hospital beds.
Author(s): Wesley L. James
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 104(11), 2122-2129
Date: 11/2014
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Household Poverty and Nonfatal Violent Victimization, 2008-2012
Report on the impact of poverty level on victims of violent crime. Includes data and statistics for rate of violent crime, demographics, location of residence (including rural), and region of the country.
Author(s): Erika Harrell, Lynn Langton, Marcus Berzofsky, Lance Couzens, and Hope Smiley-McDonald
Date: 11/2014
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Justice
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The Prevalence and Correlates of Lifetime Psychiatric Disorders and Trauma Exposures in Urban and Rural Settings: Results from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R)
Results of a study of national statistics to compare the correspondence of exposure to trauma and psychiatric disorders, with a particular focus on rural communities. Includes statistics and data broken down by race, age, diagnosis, types of trauma, and rural or urban location.
Author(s): Jennifer S. McCall-Hosenfeld, Sucharita Mukherjee, Erik B. Lehman
Citation: PLoS One, 9(11)
Date: 11/2014
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