This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document

Flood Risk is Higher in Rural and Disadvantaged Communities
Examines how flood risk varies based on rural or urban location and socioeconomic or demographic composition, using data from the 48 lower U.S. states. Features statistics on average percentage of properties at risk of flooding, with breakdowns by urban, large rural, small rural, and isolated areas. Offers recommendations for preparing evacuation and resource distribution materials and creating partnerships with local service agencies, especially in areas with large populations of older adults.
Author(s): Danielle Rhubart, Yue Sun
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organizations: Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion, Penn State Population Research Institute
view details
COVID-19: Continued Attention Needed to Enhance Federal Preparedness, Response, Service Delivery, and Program Integrity
Discusses the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides an overview of federal actions on healthcare and economic policy areas through mid-June 2021, including data on vaccine administration and COVID-19 relief spending. Offers 15 new recommendations to federal agencies regarding public health, the economy, and program integrity that would improve the federal response.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Trends in Drug Overdose Mortality Rates in Kentucky, 2019-2020
Evaluates the changes in drug overdose mortality rates for Kentucky residents, using provisional 2020 death certificate data from the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics. Features statistics on Kentucky drug overdose deaths by month from 2011-2020, and Kentucky drug overdose mortality rates and rate ratios by demographic group from 2019-2020, with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan residence.
Author(s): Svetla Slavova, Dana Quesinberry, Sarah Hargrove, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(7)
Date: 07/2021
view details
Unintentional Drowning Deaths Among Children Aged 0-17 Years: United States, 1999-2019
Reports on accidental drowning deaths using National Vital Statistics System data. Includes comparison of deaths by rural or urban status among other demographic factors.
Author(s): Merianne Rose Spencer, Holly Hedegaard, Margaret Warner
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
view details
Opioid Treatment Programs: A Key Treatment System Component
Issue brief examining state and federal-level policies related to opioid treatment programs (OTPs). Offers policy recommendations to increase access to opioid treatment in rural communities and other hard-to-reach settings.
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: Pew
view details
2020 Transportation Trends
Identifies trends and issues affecting the availability of accessible transportation for older adults and people with disabilities. Includes examples of programs underway in rural areas to address transportation needs.
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
view details
Remote Patient Monitoring Helps Rural Patients Recover at Home
Features Essentia Health's remote patient monitoring program, which allows patients to recover at home while still having access to medical attention. Describes how the program was used to treat COVID-19 patients, with plans to continue the program to treat other chronic diseases.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Rural-Urban Variations in Travel Burdens for Care: Findings from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey
Provides estimates of the distance traveled and time spent on one-way trips for medical and dental care, examines how rural residents' travel behaviors vary by sociodemographic and geographic characteristics, and evaluates factors associated with a high travel burden for medical and dental care among rural residents. Features statistics with breakdowns by time and distance traveled, age, sex, household income, and rural or urban residence.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Marvellous Akinlotan, Kristin Primm, Nima Khodakarami, Jane Bolin, Alva O. Ferdinand
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Rural Health Research Center
view details
Most Frequent Principal Diagnoses for Inpatient Stays in U.S. Hospitals, 2018
Presents data on the most frequent principal diagnoses among nonmaternal, nonneonatal inpatient hospital stays. Uses the 2018 National Inpatient Sample (NIS) to describe the number of stays, mean cost per stay, and aggregate costs. Examines the distribution of stays for the most common diagnoses by patient and hospital characteristics, including rurality.
Author(s): Kimberly W. McDermott, Marc Roemer
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details
Broadband Task Force: High-Speed Internet is Essential for All Counties
Offers policy recommendations and best practices related to broadband infrastructure, including expansion into rural areas. Discusses broadband technology, community partnerships, and policy considerations. Presents case studies of county-level initiatives and a list of broadband solutions by county in the appendix.
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Counties
view details