Conducting Rural Health Research, Needs Assessment, and Program Evaluation – Resources

The IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network: Building Research Capacity among the Rural and Medically Underserved
Describes the activities of the IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network, a product of the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program developed to enhance the competitiveness of research in states with low success rates for funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH). IDeA states exhibit high numbers of rural and medically underserved populations along with high rates of infant mortality, obesity, and poverty. Describes work underway to increase research capacity and access to clinical trials in the IDeA states. Introduces two proposed novel clinical trials with interventions for children who are overweight or obese.
Author(s): Jessica Snowden, Paul Darden, Paul Palumbo, Phil Saul, Jeannette Lee
Citation: Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 30(2), 297-302
Date: 04/2018
Type: Document
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Range Matters: Rural Averages Can Conceal Important Information
Findings brief showing how research focusing on averages without considering data range can conceal important information about average rural hospital profitability, distance between hospitals, and HIV prevalence by county.
Author(s): Meagan Clawar, Kristie Thompson, George H. Pink
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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The Future of Health Services Research: Advancing Health Systems Research and Practice in the United States
Focuses on the importance of health services research to guide decision-making. Addresses the history of the field, future priorities, major funders, its impact on improving healthcare systems and access to care, and needs related to data infrastructure. Includes data on projects supported by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy, a few rural health research examples, and priorities related to rural.
Date: 2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academy of Medicine
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Suicide Surveillance Strategies for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities
Features a report on suicide data collection strategies for American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Presents case studies from different tribal communities and supporting resources for each strategy discussed.
Date: 2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Suicide Prevention Resource Center
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Assessing Local Capacity to Expand Rural Breast Cancer Screening and Patient Navigation: An Iterative Mixed-Method Tool
Report on the development of a mixed-method tool for assessing county capacity as part of a needs assessment process, describing outcomes in rural North Texas counties. Discusses the expansion of the Breast Screening and Patient Navigation (BSPAN) program into a hub-and-spoke delivery model to strengthen networks of community clinics, community groups, and nonprofit organizations. Offers qualitative and quantitative data on changes over the development period.
Author(s): Stephen J. Inrig, Robin T. Higashi, Jasmin A. Tiro, Keith E. Argenbright, Simon J. Craddock Lee
Citation: Evaluation and Program Planning, 61, 113-124
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
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Extending Work on Rural Health Disparities: A Commentary on Matthews and Colleagues' Report
Commentary on the CDC MMWR report, Health-Related Behaviors by Urban-Rural County Classification — United States, 2013. Discusses the value of the data provided in the report, which highlights health-related behaviors for six geographic levels. Offers recommendations to build on this work.
Author(s): Paul A. Gilbert, Helena H. Laroche, Robert B. Wallace, Edith A. Parker, Susan J. Curry
Citation: Journal of Rural Health
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
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Advancing System and Policy Changes for Social and Racial Justice: Comparing a Rural and Urban Community-based Participatory Research Partnership in the U.S.
Examines two community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnerships, one serving African Americans in rural Missouri and the other African American and Latinos in the urban South Bronx. The CBPR partnerships focused on health inequities related to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Discusses the historical context of racial and social injustice, social justice partnership strategies, and the role of CBPR.
Author(s): Carlos Devia, Elizabeth A. Baker, Shannon Sanchez-Youngman, et al.
Citation: International Journal for Equity in Health, 16(1), 17
Date: 02/2017
Type: Document
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Engaging Tribal Nations of North Dakota in Conducting Community Health Assessments
Outlines the purpose and process of conducting a community health assessment (CHA) for Native American communities. Covers tribal public health policy and governance, community engagement in CHAs, steps for planning a CHA, working with data, and preparing a tribal community health improvement plan.
Date: 01/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: American Indian Public Health Resource Center, North Dakota Department of Health
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Engaging Rural Residents in Patient-Centered Health Care Research
Describes the process of engaging rural patients and caregivers to explore and understand rural perspectives surrounding the patient-centered medical home model. Discusses engagement efforts and lessons learned from analyzing rural residents' engagement in healthcare research.
Author(s): Michelle Levy, Cheryl Holmes, Amy Mendenhall, Whitney Grube
Citation: Patient Experience Journal, 4(1), 46-53
Date: 2017
Type: Document
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Using the ERS County Economic Types To Explore Demographic and Economic Trends in Rural Areas
Discusses six types of counties based on economic industry dependence: farming, mining, manufacturing, federal/state government, recreation, and nonspecialized counties. Describes how these county types can be used to better understand variation in demographic and economic trends in rural areas. Uses the county economic types to examine population, income, and poverty trends.
Author(s): Lorin Kusmin
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 12/2016
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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