Rural Health Research Center Publications
The Rural Health Research Gateway provides access to all of the research and findings of the Office of Rural Health Policy's Rural Health Research Centers. The research centers also offer their own lists of publications:
Lists of Publications
Maine Rural Health Research Center Projects and Publications
Web site
Publications from one of eight federally funded Rural Health Research Centers. Lists working papers, research and policy briefs. Focuses on rural behavioral health.
NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis Publications
Web site
Publications from one of eight federally funded Rural Health Research Centers. Lists policy analysis briefs and other publications. Focuses on impact of Medicare policies on rural communities.
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Publications
Web site
Publications from one of eight federally funded Rural Health Research Centers. Lists finding briefs, working papers, articles, reports, and research. Focuses on Federal insurance programs (Medicare and Medicaid) and their effect on rural populations and providers.
RUPRI Center for Health Policy Analysis Publications and Briefs
Web site
Publications from one of eight federally funded Rural Health Research Centers. Lists policy papers and briefs, presentations and studies on rural health care financing/system reform, rural systems building, and meeting the health care needs of special rural populations. Focuses on Medicare's impact of payment and quality policy on the delivery of health care in rural areas.
Rural Health Research Center Projects for Fiscal Year 2007
Web site
Provides a list of the research centers as well as their projects for 2007.
South Carolina Rural Health Research Center Findings & Reports
Web site
Publications from one of eight federally funded Rural Health Research Centers. Lists research and reports. Focuses on health disparities.
Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center Publications
Web site
One of eight federally funded Rural Health Research Centers with a partnership between the University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center and the University of North Dakota Center for Rural Health. Primary areas of research include: quality of care in rural areas, rural health care systems and access to care, rural health care financing, health workforce, Native American health, patient safety, and quality and access to health care services.
Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education Publications
Web site
Publications from one of eight federally funded Rural Health Research Centers. Focus is on mental health.
WWAMI Rural Health Research Center Publications
Web site
Publications from one of eight federally funded Rural Health Research Centers. Lists articles, working papers, publications, reports, and monographs. Focuses on workforce research.
Reports and Other Useful Documents
Aging of the Primary Care Physician Workforce: Are Rural Locations Vulnerable? (Policy Brief)
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Describes the rural areas of the U.S. where impending retirement threatens access to primary care, and offers potential solutions to the problem.
Date: 06 / 2009
Availability of Family Medicine Residency Training in Rural Locations of the United States (Policy Brief)
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Reports that family physicians constitute the largest proportion of the rural primary care physician workforce, yet declining student interest in rural family medicine may worsen rural primary care shortages.
Date: 06 / 2009
Case Study of Rural Health Care in the Economic Downturn
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center (Cecil G. Sheps Center)
Describes the economic and health care environment in Ashe County, a rural community in North Carolina. The experience in Ashe County exemplifies the health care challenges faced in many rural areas across the country.
Date: 07 / 2009
Characteristics of Rural & Urban Children Who Qualify For Medicaid or CHIP But Are Not Enrolled (Policy Brief)
Author(s): Jennifer King, Rebecca Slifkin, Mark Holmes
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center (Cecil G. Sheps Center)
Reports that there are rural-urban and regional
differences in the race and ethnicity of
qualified-but-uninsured children; about 6 in 10 qualified-but-uninsured children have family incomes below the federal poverty level; children of all ages are qualified for Medicaid or CHIP but not enrolled.
Date: 07 / 2009
Chartbook: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Health of Rural Populations (Executive Summary)
Author(s): Kevin J. Bennett, Bankole Olatosi, Janice C. Probst
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Examines potential disparities among rural populations in health, health behaviors, preventive services and diabetes care.
Date: 06 / 2008
Chartbook: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in the Health of Rural Populations (Fact Sheet)
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Examines the potential disparities among rural populations in health, health behaviors, preventive services and diabetes care.
Date: 12 / 2008
CMS Value-Based Purchasing Program and Critical Access Hospitals
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, A. Clinton MacKinney, Timothy D. McBride, Keith J. Mueller, Rebecca T. Slifkin, Mary K. Wakefield
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Rural Health Panel
Addresses the implications of value-based purchasing (VBP) for the cost-based reimbursement that CAHs receive. Describes the Rural Health Panel's recommendations for action.
Date: 01 / 2009
Community Health Center and Rural Health Clinic Presence Associated with Lower County-Level Hospitalization Rates for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (Full Report)
Author(s): Janice C. Probst, James N. Laditka, Sarah B. Laditka
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Examines the effect of the presence of a Federally Qualified Community Health Center (CHC) or Rural Health Clinic (RHC) within a county on population rates of hospitalization for ambulatory care sensitive (ACS) conditions, using data from eight states.
Date: 08 / 2009
Crisis in Rural Dentistry
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Lists issues related to oral health care in rural America. Discusses the need for intensified recruitment efforts to increase dental access and improve oral health in rural areas. Proposes potential solutions that may increase the rural oral health care workforce.
Date: 04 / 2009
Crisis in Rural General Surgery
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Describes issues rural general surgeons face and why maintaining their supply is important in meeting the needs of the aging rural population.
Date: 04 / 2009
Crisis in Rural Primary Care
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Describes issues facing primary health care in rural America including: a declining number of students choosing this career path, low compensation rates, rising malpractice premiums, professional isolation, limited time off, and the scarcity of jobs for spouses.
Date: 04 / 2009
Demographic, Education, and Practice Characteristics of Licensed Practical Nurses in Washington State: Results of a 2007 Survey (Full Report)
Author(s): C. Holly A. Andrilla, Susan M. Skillman, Linda Tieman
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Center for Health Workforce Studies
Describes the demographic, education, and professional practice characteristics of the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) workforce in Washington state.
Date: 01 / 2009
Demographic, Education, and Practice Characteristics of Licensed Practical Nurses in Washington State: Results of a 2007 Survey (Policy Brief)
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Center for Health Workforce Studies
Describes the demographic, education, and professional practice characteristics of the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) workforce in Washington state.
Date: 01 / 2009
Disseminating Rural Health Research to State and National Audiences: A Communications Toolkit for Health Researchers
Author(s): Wendy Opsahl, Amanda Scurry, Mary Wakefield, Patricia Moulton, Kristine Sande, Naomi Lelm
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Research Gateway
Includes approaches for both developing various research-related documents and disseminating research results.
Date: 11 / 2008
Future of Family Medicine and Implications for Rural Primary Care Physicians (Policy Brief)
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Examines the rural physician shortage based on an analysis of a cohort of recent medical school graduates, the effect of trends in specialty selection on provider supply, and major trends impacting health care delivery.
Date: 06 / 2009
Health Disparities: A Rural-Urban Chartbook (Full-Report)
Author(s): Kevin J. Bennett, Bankole Olatosi, Janice C. Probst
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Presents data on health disparities experience by people living in rural America. Some disparities are poorer health status, higher prevalence of obesity, lesser options for activity, and higher mortality rates.
Date: 06 / 2008
Health Information Technology Policy and Rural Hospitals (Policy Brief)
Author(s): Jeffrey McCullough, Michelle Casey, Ira Moscovice
Sponsoring organization: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Summarizes the implementation status of key Health Information Technology (HIT) applications in Critical Access Hospitals and other rural hospitals, and discusses policies for encouraging HIT adoption in rural hospitals.
Date: 06 / 2009
Implementation of Telepharmacy in Rural Hospitals: Potential for Improving Medication Safety (Final Report)
Author(s): Michelle Casey, Walter Elias, Alana Knudson, Walter Gregg
Sponsoring organization: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Describes successful telepharmacy activities being implemented in rural hospitals and analyzes policy issues related to the implementation of telepharmacy projects in rural hospitals.
Date: 12 / 2008
Implementation of Telepharmacy in Rural Hospitals: Potential for Improving Medication Safety (Policy Brief)
Sponsoring organization: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Describes successful telepharmacy activities being implemented in rural hospitals and analyzes policy issues related to the implementation of telepharmacy projects in rural hospitals.
Date: 03 / 2009
May 2009: PPOs Driving Growth in Rural Medicare Advantage Enrollment
Author(s): Leah Kemper, Timothy D. McBride, Keith Mueller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Describes the 2009 growth of rural Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment and in preferred provider organization (PPO) plan enrollment, while the rate of enrollment in private fee-for-service (PFFS) plans declines.
Date: 06 / 2009
Medicaid & CHIP Participation Among Rural & Urban Children (Policy Brief)
Author(s): Jennifer King, Rebecca Slifkin, Mark Holmes
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center (Cecil G. Sheps Center)
Describes the characteristics of rural and urban children who qualify for Medicaid or CHIP but are uninsured.
Date: 07 / 2009
Medicare Beneficiaries’ Access to Pharmacy Services in Small Rural Towns: Implications of Contracting Patterns of Sole Community Pharmacies with Part D Plans
Author(s): Victoria A Freeman, Indira Richardson, Rebecca T. Slifkin
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center (Cecil G. Sheps Center)
Describes pharmacy Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) contract patterns of sole rural pharmacies. Addresses PDP enrollment choices of Medicare Part D enrollees.
Date: 01 / 2009
Potentially Preventable Readmissions in Rural Hospitals (Policy Brief)
Author(s): Marilyn G. Klug, Kyle Muus, Michelle Casey, Ira Moscovice
Sponsoring organization: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Examines potentially preventable readmission rates for rural and urban hospitals, and discusses the rural implications of policy initiatives to reduce readmission rates.
Date: 08 / 2009
Private Health Insurance in Rural Areas: Challenges and Reform Options (Policy Brief)
Author(s): Erika Ziller, Andrew Coburn
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Reports that rural residents are less likely than their urban counterparts to have private health insurance coverage.
Date: 04 / 2009
Profile of Rural Health Insurance Coverage: A Chartbook
Author(s): Jennifer D. Lenardson, Erika C. Ziller, Andrew F. Coburn, Nathaniel J. Anderson
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Provides information on the health insurance
status of rural Americans under the age of 65. Includes recent estimates and changes since 1997 in rural health insurance coverage; differences in the demographic, socio-economic, employment and other risk factors for uninsurance among rural and urban residents; demographic and economic characteristics and employment differences of the rural and urban uninsured; and policy implications for covering the rural uninsured.
Date: 06 / 2009
Rural Coverage Gaps Decline Following Public Health Insurance Expansions
Author(s): Ericka Ziller, Andrew Coburn
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Assesses how uninsured rates and sources of coverage have changed since the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was enacted. Compares the health insurance coverage of rural and urban residents in 1997 and 2005. Discusses implications for health insurance reform
Date: 02 / 2009
Rural Enrollment in Medicare Advantage: Growth Slows in 2008
Author(s): Leah Kemper, Timothy D. McBride, Keith Mueller
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Reports that rate of growth of rural enrollment in the Medicare Advantage program decreased significantly in 2008, compared to previous years. In addition, the growth rate in preferred provider organization plans in rural areas now exceeds that in private fee-for-service plans.
Date: 03 / 2009
Rural Enrollment in Medicare Part D is Growing Slowly
Author(s): Timothy D. McBride, Leah Kemper, Keith Mueller
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
Reports that rural beneficiaries are more likely to enroll in stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDPs), while urban beneficiaries are much more likely to enroll in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans that offer prescription drug coverage (MA-PD plans).
Date: 03 / 2009
Rural Issues Related to Bundled Payments for Acute Care Episodes (Policy Brief)
Author(s): Robert Town, Walter Gregg, Ira Moscovice, Shailendra Prasad, Jill Klingner, Christopher Dickerson
Sponsoring organization: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Describes challenges to implementing bundled payments in rural settings and discusses potential contracting and reimbursement strategies to address these challenges.
Date: 06 / 2009
Rural Issues Related to Comparative Effectiveness Research and Dissemination (Policy Brief)
Author(s): Ira Moscovice, Michelle Casey
Sponsoring organization: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Describes strategies for expanding clinical research in rural environments; implementing practice guidelines in rural settings; and improving access to current evidence-based information for rural health professionals and patients.
Date: 06 / 2009
Rural Residents Lag in Preventive Services Use; Lag Increases with Service Complexity
Sponsoring organization: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Describes the receipt of preventive services among rural adults and explores the factors that are related to disparities in utilization.
Date: 06 / 2009
Rural-Urban Comparison of Allied Health Average Hourly Wages
Author(s): Indira Richardson, Rebecca Slifkin, Randy Randolph, Mark Holmes
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center (Cecil G. Sheps Center)
Explores the hourly wage differences of allied health care professionals in rural and urban areas. Discusses whether a wage deviation contributes to the health care workforce shortage issues found in rural areas.
Date: 01 / 2009
Rural-Urban Differences in Health Care Access Vary Across Measures
Author(s): Erika Ziller, Jennifer Lenardson
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
Reports that rural residents were more likely than urban residents to have a usual source of health care, particularly among the uninsured. Despite this, rural adults were somewhat less likely to receive certain preventive care services compared to urban adults.
Date: 06 / 2009
Threats to the Future Supply of Rural Registered Nurses
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
Explains how the shortages of registered nurses (RNs) in rural areas may grow as the “baby boom” generation retires and as RNs commute to larger towns and urban areas for work. Presents potential solutions to this foreseen shortage problem.
Date: 04 / 2009
Value-Based Purchasing and Critical Access Hospitals: Summary of Recommendations
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Rural Health Panel
Summarizes recommendations from the Rural Health Panel's report, CMS Value-Based Purchasing Program and Critical Access Hospitals.
Journal citation: RUPRI Rural Policy Brief
Date: 01 / 2009
Workforce Issues Among Sole Community Pharmacies
Author(s): Donald Klepser, Michelle Lampman, Andrea Radford, Indira Richardson, Stephen Rutledge
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center (Cecil G. Sheps Center)
Explores the shared experiences of sole community pharmacist-owners regarding the challenges facing the pharmacy workforce in their communities and their concerns about their pharmacy's future.
Date: 07 / 2009
