Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Rural-urban differences
Comparing Trends in Telemedicine Use and Geographic Disparities in Utilization among Patients with Cancer in the United States
Analyzes how telemedicine use varied by rurality among patients with lung or colon cancer during the early COVID-19 pandemic, using 2020-2021 Medicare fee-for-service claims data. Includes data on the use of telehealth, in-person, and emergency department services.
Author(s): Matthew Mackwood, Qianfei Wang, Tor D. Tosteson, et al.
Citation: JCO Oncology Practice, 22(7), 1331-1340
Date: 10/2025
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Analyzes how telemedicine use varied by rurality among patients with lung or colon cancer during the early COVID-19 pandemic, using 2020-2021 Medicare fee-for-service claims data. Includes data on the use of telehealth, in-person, and emergency department services.
Author(s): Matthew Mackwood, Qianfei Wang, Tor D. Tosteson, et al.
Citation: JCO Oncology Practice, 22(7), 1331-1340
Date: 10/2025
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2025 Snapshot: State of the Hematology and Medical Oncologist Workforce in America
Infographic providing statistics and data on hematology and medical oncology workforce characteristics and geography in 2025. Highlights rural shortages in current and projected oncologist supply.
Citation: JCO Oncology Practice, 21, 1774
Date: 10/2025
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Infographic providing statistics and data on hematology and medical oncology workforce characteristics and geography in 2025. Highlights rural shortages in current and projected oncologist supply.
Citation: JCO Oncology Practice, 21, 1774
Date: 10/2025
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Geographic Differences in Obesogenic Behaviors and Overweight and Obesity Among Children and Adolescents
Compares the prevalence of obesity and overweight and examines how obesogenic factors such as food security, physical activity, sleep time, and screen time vary by rural or urban dwelling among children aged 10 to 17 years. Uses 2021-2022 National Survey of Children's Health data.
Author(s): Elizabeth Crouch, Nicholas Yell, Emma Boswell, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22
Date: 10/2025
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Compares the prevalence of obesity and overweight and examines how obesogenic factors such as food security, physical activity, sleep time, and screen time vary by rural or urban dwelling among children aged 10 to 17 years. Uses 2021-2022 National Survey of Children's Health data.
Author(s): Elizabeth Crouch, Nicholas Yell, Emma Boswell, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 22
Date: 10/2025
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Unpacking the Primary Care Clinician Index: Understanding How Changes in Population and Workforce Supply Affect Access to Primary Care in North Carolina
Analyzes the primary care clinician supply between 2017 and 2024 to identify how it has changed with regard to physician, population, and geographic characteristics including rurality. Discusses how the studied characteristics indicate access to care. Discusses the role of the nurse practitioner workforce in increasing access to care.
Author(s): Evan Galloway, Brianna Lombardi, Erin Fraher
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 86(3)
Date: 10/2025
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Analyzes the primary care clinician supply between 2017 and 2024 to identify how it has changed with regard to physician, population, and geographic characteristics including rurality. Discusses how the studied characteristics indicate access to care. Discusses the role of the nurse practitioner workforce in increasing access to care.
Author(s): Evan Galloway, Brianna Lombardi, Erin Fraher
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 86(3)
Date: 10/2025
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An Assessment of Nurse Practitioner Low-Value Care Use in Primary Care
Analyzes how patient demographics and geography are associated with the prevalence of nurse practitioner-delivered low-value lumbar X-ray, aURI antibiotic, and ECG services, utilizing 2021 Merative MarketScan Commercial and Medicare database data for Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico. Includes metro versus nonmetro comparison data.
Author(s): Sara B. Nugent, Roberta P. Lavin, Jongwon Lee, Brady P. Horn, Barbara I. Holmes Damron
Citation: The American Journal of Managed Care, 31(1), 553-557
Date: 10/2025
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Analyzes how patient demographics and geography are associated with the prevalence of nurse practitioner-delivered low-value lumbar X-ray, aURI antibiotic, and ECG services, utilizing 2021 Merative MarketScan Commercial and Medicare database data for Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico. Includes metro versus nonmetro comparison data.
Author(s): Sara B. Nugent, Roberta P. Lavin, Jongwon Lee, Brady P. Horn, Barbara I. Holmes Damron
Citation: The American Journal of Managed Care, 31(1), 553-557
Date: 10/2025
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New Mexico Health Care Workforce Committee: 2025 Annual Report
Reports on New Mexico's healthcare workforce, including county-level data and comparisons to national benchmarks. Discusses rural and frontier area shortages, health workforce migration trends, potential solutions for workforce issues, and updates on previous recommendations. See Appendix C for healthcare professions gap analyses by county.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of New Mexico - Health Sciences Center
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Reports on New Mexico's healthcare workforce, including county-level data and comparisons to national benchmarks. Discusses rural and frontier area shortages, health workforce migration trends, potential solutions for workforce issues, and updates on previous recommendations. See Appendix C for healthcare professions gap analyses by county.
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of New Mexico - Health Sciences Center
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Assessing Measurement Invariance in Neighborhood Socioeconomic Environment Across Levels of Urbanicity
Examines neighborhood socioeconomic status (NSES) variables by census tract and their relationship to public health. Provides data on poverty, use of public assistance, employment characteristics, transportation insecurity, education, and more, by higher density urban, lower density urban, suburban/small town, and rural location.
Author(s): S. S. A. De Silva, Melissa A. Meeker, Tara P. McAlexander, et al.
Citation: Journal of Urban Health, 102, 1094-1103
Date: 10/2025
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Examines neighborhood socioeconomic status (NSES) variables by census tract and their relationship to public health. Provides data on poverty, use of public assistance, employment characteristics, transportation insecurity, education, and more, by higher density urban, lower density urban, suburban/small town, and rural location.
Author(s): S. S. A. De Silva, Melissa A. Meeker, Tara P. McAlexander, et al.
Citation: Journal of Urban Health, 102, 1094-1103
Date: 10/2025
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Benzodiazepine Use Among Older Adults: Any Use and Concurrent Use With Opioids
Statistical brief examining rates of prescription benzodiazepine use by demographic group, insurance type, and health status, using 2021-2022 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component (MEPS-HC) data. See Figure 6 for metro-nonmetro comparison data on benzodiazepine use and concurrent benzodiazepine-opioid use.
Author(s): Salam Abdus, G. Edward Miller
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Statistical brief examining rates of prescription benzodiazepine use by demographic group, insurance type, and health status, using 2021-2022 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component (MEPS-HC) data. See Figure 6 for metro-nonmetro comparison data on benzodiazepine use and concurrent benzodiazepine-opioid use.
Author(s): Salam Abdus, G. Edward Miller
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Cardiovascular Disease Burden in Arizona - 2022
Reports on cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity, mortality, and characteristics in Arizona, utilizing 2022 Arizona Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. Includes demographic data breakdowns, including rural versus urban comparisons.
Author(s): Amanda Swanson
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Department of Health Services
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Reports on cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity, mortality, and characteristics in Arizona, utilizing 2022 Arizona Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. Includes demographic data breakdowns, including rural versus urban comparisons.
Author(s): Amanda Swanson
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Department of Health Services
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Time to Build: How Do We Develop More (Affordable) Housing in Rural America?
Provides discussion on housing policy, statistics on rural housing supply, and potential solutions to provide more rural housing options, such as utilizing public lands, manufactured homes, and more. Includes county-level data on housing unit changes and metro versus nonmetro trends in new single family homes.
Additional links: Housing Unit Change, 2013-2023 Infographic
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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Provides discussion on housing policy, statistics on rural housing supply, and potential solutions to provide more rural housing options, such as utilizing public lands, manufactured homes, and more. Includes county-level data on housing unit changes and metro versus nonmetro trends in new single family homes.
Additional links: Housing Unit Change, 2013-2023 Infographic
Date: 10/2025
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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