Rural Health Disparities Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What are health disparities?
Answer: The Department of Health & Human Services defines health disparities as differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of cancer and related adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups in the United States. These populations groups may be characterized by gender, age, ethnicity, education, income, social class, disability, geographic location, or sexual orientation.
Question: What are some of the health disparities found in Rural America?
Answer:
According to the National Rural Health Association:
- Rural communities represent about 20% of America’s population however less than ten percent of physicians practice in those communities
- Rural residents are less likely to have employer-provided health care coverage or prescription drug coverage
- Rural poor are less likely to be covered by Medicaid benefits
- One-third of all motor vehicle accidents occur in rural areas however two-thirds of the deaths attributed to these accidents occur on rural roads
- Fewer dentists practice in rural areas
- The majority of EMS first responders are volunteers
- Rural residents are poorer than their rural counterparts
- Alcohol abuse is a significant problem among rural youth
- Methamphetamine use and admission treatment rates are higher in rural, non-metro areas
- Rural residents are nearly twice as likely to die from unintentional injuries other than motor vehicle accidents
- Suicide rates among rural males are significantly higher than in urban areas and the suicide rates among rural women are rapidly catching up to that of men
For additional statistics and characteristics see NRHA’s What’s Different About Rural Health Care?
Question: Where can I find supporting documents and statistics on rural health disparities?
Answer:
Several publications identify and describe the rural/urban disparities. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) produces annually the National Healthcare Disparities Report, a comprehensive national overview of
disparities in health care among racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups in the general U.S. population and tracks the success of activities to reduce disparities. The National Rural Health Association prepared a document titled Health Disparities in Rural Populations: An Introduction that provides general background information on health disparities experienced by all rural citizens. Bridging the Health Divide: The Rural Public Health Research Agenda prepared by the University of Pittsburgh Center for Rural Health Practice also presents background information, facts and insights into rural health disparities. HRSA’s The Health and Well-Being of Children in Rural Areas: A Portrait of the Nation 2005 provides information on the health and well-being of rural children and their use of health services as well as data on health status, health insurance coverage, and other aspects of child well-being. Comparisons of children in rural and urban communities are discussed.
The Carsey Institute’s publication Demographic Trends in Rural and Small Town America presents an overview of the unique characteristics of rural communities with references to the problems in accessing health care.
Question: What agencies and organizations are working to seek solutions to these disparities?
Answer:
The Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP) promotes better health care service in rural America. ORHP is part of the Health Resources and Services Administration under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ORHP focuses on matters affecting rural hospitals and health care, coordinating activities within the department that relate to rural health care, maintaining a national information clearinghouse, and providing rural-specific grant programs.
The National Rural Health Association (NRHA) promotes leadership, ideas, information, communication, education, research, advocacy, and methods to improve rural health. The organization is composed of individual and organizational members who share a common interest in rural health.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) sponsors and conducts research with a segment focused on rural health that provides evidence-based information on health care outcomes; quality; and cost, use, and access. ARHQ is also expanding its Health Information Technology (HIT) portal to have a rural-specific HIT portal available for public use.
There are several rural health research centers designed to help policy makers understand the problems rural communities face in assuring access to health care for their residents. Their research findings inform a wide audience of national, state, and local decision-makers concerned with rural health.
For additional information on rural health policy, see the Rural Health Policy Information Guide. For additional information on rural health research see the Rural Health Research Information Guide.
Question: What membership organizations advocate for rural health?
Answer:
These are some of the key membership organizations concerned with rural health issues:
Question: What types of initiatives are being implemented to solve rural health disparities?
Answer:
Initiatives that seek to improve availability of and access to health services, improve health care quality and health care safety, recruit healthcare workforce, lower health care costs, secure adequate Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, and implement up to date technology that includes HIT and Broadband will minimize the rural health disparities.
For examples of what can be done at the local level the National Rural Health Association has collected a variety of Models that Work as part of its Quality Through Collaboration initiative. Models that Work highlights examples of collaboration in communities with the goal of improving the quality of care provided in a community and addressing the needs of population health.
Also, see the Rural Assistance Center's Success Stories section for summaries of successful rural projects working to improve health care. Many of these success stories are products of grant opportunities distributed by the Office of Rural Health Policy.
Credits
Last revised 01/08/2008
