Rural Health Disparities Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

• What are health disparities?
• What are some of the health disparities found in rural America?
• Where can I find supporting documents and statistics on rural health disparities?
• What agencies and organizations are working to seek solutions to these disparities?
• What membership organizations advocate for rural health?
• What types of initiatives are being implemented to solve rural health disparities?

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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.

• National Healthcare Disparities Report
  Produced annually by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), provides 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
• Bridging the Health Divide: The Rural Public Health Research Agenda
  Prepared by the University of Pittsburgh Center for Rural Health Practice presents background information, facts and insights into rural health disparities
• Health Disparities: A Rural-Urban Chartbook (Full-Report)
  Presents data on health disparities experience by people living in rural America. Some disparities identified are poorer health status, higher prevalence of obesity, lesser options for activity and higher mortality rates
• Demographic Trends in Rural and Small Town America Published by The Carsey Institute. Provides 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:

• 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.
• 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
• 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.

• Maine Rural Health Research Center  (MRHC)
• Nebraska Center for Rural Health Research
• NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
• North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center (Cecil G. Sheps Center)
• RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
• South Carolina Rural Health Research Center (SCRHRC)
• Southwest Rural Health Research Center (SRHRC)
• University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
• Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
• WICHE Center for Rural Mental Health Research
• WWAMI Rural Health Research Center (WWAMI RHRC)

For additional information on rural health policy, see the Rural Health Policy topic guide. For additional information on rural health research see the Rural Health & Human Services Research topic guide.

Question: What membership organizations advocate for rural health?

Answer: These are some of the key membership organizations concerned with rural health issues:

• American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP)
  Advocates for a variety of rural health issues that impact family physicians
• American Hospital Association, through its Section for Small or Rural Hospitals
  Focuses on advocacy for small and rural hospitals
• American Nursing Association (ANA)
  Dedicated to ensuring an adequate supply of highly-skilled and well-educated nurses is available
• National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)
  Focuses on the needs and concerns of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), many of which serve rural communities
• National Association of Rural Health Clinics (NARHC)
  Focuses on the needs and concerns of Rural Health Clinics (RHCs)
• National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health (NOSORH)
  Promotes rural health issues
• National Rural Health Association (NRHA)
  The largest membership organization for rural health
• State Rural Health Associations
  Advocates for rural health at the state level and work with NRHA at the national level

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.

Last reviewed 03/30/2012