Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document

Illicit Drug Use, Illicit Drug Use Disorders, and Drug Overdose Deaths in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas — United States
Reports on trends in illicit drug use, illicit drug use disorders, and overdose deaths in large metropolitan, small metropolitan, and nonmetropolitan areas, based on 2003–2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data and 1999–2015 National Vital Statistics System Mortality (NVSS-M) data. Includes metro/nonmetro illicit drug use data by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, and household income. Includes data on metro/nonmetro drug overdose deaths by sex, race/ethnicity, intent (unintentional, homicide, suicide, undetermined), and age group.
Author(s): Karin A. Mack, Christopher M. Jones, Michael F. Ballesteros
Citation: MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 66(19), 1-12
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details
The Influence of Food Store Access on Grocery Shopping and Food Spending
Reports on households that do not use their own vehicle to travel to a store and live more than half a mile from a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) authorized supermarket or superstore. Includes data on household sources of food, including stores, family and friends, the household's own production, food pantries, and other sources. Data is provided by distance, and the report notes that all households more than 10 miles from the nearest SNAP-authorized store and 55% of households 1-10 miles from a SNAP-authorized store are in rural areas.
Author(s): Michele Ver Ploeg, Elizabeth Larimore, Parke Wilde
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
view details
Organizations Help Veterans Transition into Healthcare Careers
Highlights the work of the Multi-State Collaborative on Military Credit and the Consortium of Michigan Veterans Educators to help veterans pursue careers in healthcare. Discusses the role veterans have played in the past and continue to play in meeting the health workforce needs of rural communities. Identifies barriers veterans face transitioning to health careers.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Implementing Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Rural Primary Care: Environmental Scan Volume 1
Details challenges and barriers to implementing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) in a primary care setting, such as healthcare policy, workforce, and financing, among others. Includes 250 tools and resources to help overcome barriers and support implementation MAT in rural areas.
Additional links: Volume 2: Tools and Resources
Author(s): Garrett E. Moran, Caroline M. Snyder, Rebecca F. Noftsinger, Joshua K. Noda
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details
FirstNet: Efforts to Establish the Public-Safety Broadband Network
Testimony describing the First Responder Network Authority's (FirstNet) efforts as it works to establish a reliable, secure, and interoperable national public-safety broadband network. Includes a discussion on the challenges associated with providing coverage in rural areas, and addresses concerns about inadequate communication with tribal stakeholders.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Ambulance Services for Medicare Beneficiaries: State Differences in Usage, 2012-2014
Policy brief analyzing how ambulance use varies among U.S. communities. Features state-level statistics including number of Medicare patients transported by ambulance, miles transported, and number of days ambulance transport was used per patient. Compares mean characteristics of states by census division, including percentage of population living in rural areas.
Author(s): SuZanne Troske, Alison Davis
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural & Underserved Health Research Center
view details
2016 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report: Chartbook on Rural Health Care
Summarizes trends in healthcare quality and disparities for rural populations. Includes quality measures for access to healthcare, patient safety, person- and family-centered care, care coordination, affordability, healthy living, and effective treatment.
Author(s): Barbara Barton, Irim Azam
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details
Breast Reconstruction Surgery for Mastectomy in Hospital Inpatient and Ambulatory Settings, 2009-2014
Examines reconstruction surgeries for mastectomy among adult women over a 5-year period, with data by patient and hospital characteristics. Includes rural/urban data by location of patient residence and by hospital location.
Author(s): Adela M. Miller, Claudia A. Steiner, Marguerite L. Barrett, Kathryn R. Fingar, Anne Elixhauser
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details
The Financial Health of Colorado Hospitals: Trends 2011-2015
Provides economic, pricing, and quality information on Colorado's hospitals. Shares data from public sources in order to improve healthcare transparency, affordability, and quality. Tracks trends among Colorado's hospitals, including Critical Access and small/rural hospitals, and provides individualized, facility-level statistics on employment, utilization, and finance.
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Colorado Hospital Association
view details
Rural Transportation Best Practice: Transportation for Individuals with Chronic Care Conditions
Highlights a program called Mountain Empire Older Citizens (MEOC), which is a transportation assistance service for individuals with chronic conditions in Big Stone Gap, VA. Details the demographics of the town, as well as the structure of the program.
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Aging and Disability Transportation Center
view details