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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Statistics and data

Quantifying Rural Disparity in Healthcare Utilization in the United States: Analysis of a Large Midwestern Healthcare System
Analyzes patient utilization of rural versus urban outpatient clinics. Explores electronic health record data from 474,674 adult patients from June 2018 to March 2019 across variables such as age, sex, race, ethnicity, smoking status, and health status. Includes statistics and discussion of clinic utilization in relation to rural healthcare disparities.
Author(s): Akua Nuako, Jingxia Liu, Giang Pham, et al.
Citation: PLoS ONE, 17(2)
Date: 02/2022
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SNAP Spending Contributed to Rural Economic Output and Jobs Following the Great Recession
Chart comparing rural and urban economic impacts of the USDA's Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) during the period of high unemployment from 2009-2014. Uses USDA Economic Research Service data, USDA Food and Nutrition Service data, and 2014 U.S. base level data from IMPLAN Group, LLC.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Medicaid and Counties: Understanding the Program and Why It Matters to Counties
Discusses the importance of Medicaid in county-level healthcare. Describes the role Medicaid plays in financing and delivering healthcare for children, the elderly, the disabled, and rural residents. Highlights the impact of COVID-19 on the Medicaid program and challenges for county governments.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Counties
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Analysis of Vaccination Rates and New COVID-19 Infections by US County, July-August 2021
Research letter examining COVID-19 infection and vaccination rates during the third wave of the pandemic in July-August 2021. Offers county-level data maps and highlights differences in rural and urban vaccination rates and impacts of the wave on counties with lower vaccination rates.
Author(s): Diego F. Cuadros, DeWolfe Miller, Susanne Awad, Philip Coule, Neil J. MacKinnon
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 5(2), e2147915
Date: 02/2022
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Outpatient Telehealth Use Soared Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic but Has since Receded
Brief examining outpatient telehealth visits from March 2019 to August 2021 based on a data set that includes over 126 million patients from 889 hospitals and 19,320 clinics nationwide. Covers changes in telehealth use during the pandemic, telehealth use by age group and sex, rural and urban rates of telehealth use, and telehealth use for management of chronic conditions. Discusses impacts on healthcare access, cost, quality, and outcomes, as well as policy implications.
Author(s): Justin Lo, Matthew Rae, Krutika Ann, Cynthia Cox
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organizations: KFF, Peterson Center on Healthcare
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Social Determinants of Mortality of COVID-19 and Opioid Overdose in American Rural and Urban Counties
Highlights a study on the social determinants of health that correlate with high COVID-19 and opioid overdose mortality in rural and urban counties. Breaks down county data by median income, unemployment, and healthcare workforce, among other factors.
Author(s): Yuhui Zhu, Zhe Fei, Larissa J. Mooney, et al.
Citation: Journal of Addiction Medicine, 16(1), e52-e55
Date: 02/2022
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Demographics of High-Income Households In Rural Illinois, 2021
Explores profiles and distribution of income in rural Illinois among households in top income brackets. Provides demographic information on family type/size, age, race, and education. Discusses implications for rural communities.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman, Chris Merrett
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Estimating Mortality from Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis Among Medicare Beneficiaries with Pneumoconiosis Using Binary Regressions for Spatially Sparse Data
Results of a study to estimate the excess risk associated with mortality from various pneumoconioses among Medicare beneficiaries and to assess how the combined individual and county‐level factors contribute to the increased mortality risk of coal workers' pneumoconiosis. Uses data from 2011-2014 and features statistics with breakdowns by rural and non-rural locations.
Author(s): Rajib Paul, Oluwaseun Adeyemi, Ahmed A. Arif
Citation: American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 2022, 1-6
Date: 02/2022
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Pandemic Increases Pressure on Rural Hospitals & Communities: Vulnerability, Health Inequity and Staffing Crisis Amplified in Pandemic's Third Year
Examines the stability of the rural healthcare safety net. Discusses disparities between rural and urban communities and communities with hospitals vulnerable to closure. Describes the benefits of COVID-19 relief funding on rural hospitals and how scheduled reimbursement cuts and staffing shortages could impact hospitals' financial stability. Also discusses how staffing shortages impact access to obstetrics and chemotherapy care in rural areas.
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Chartis Center for Rural Health
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Rural Working-Age Adults Report Worse Health Than Their Urban Peers
Examines differences in self-rated physical health among residents of large urban counties, medium/small urban counties, metro-adjacent counties, and remote rural counties. Uses data from a survey of approximately 4,000 U.S. adults ages 18-64, conducted in February-March 2021.
Author(s): Shannon M. Monnat, Danielle C. Rhubart
Date: 02/2022
Sponsoring organization: Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion
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