Rural Health Research Gateway

In all non-metropolitan areas, those 65 and older have significantly higher rates of ED visits, with the difference especially pronounced in Metropolitan areas compared to Large Rural and Small Rural areas. https://ow.ly/SuY650UIxVu #ruralhealth

🚨Rural Health Research Alert🚨 "Examining Differences in Rural and Urban Medicare FFS Beneficiaries' Emergency Department Use Before and During Covid" This brief examines changes in emergency department (ED) use among rural and urban Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) beneficiaries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2018–2022). Using claims data, researchers identified shifts in care-seeking behavior, admission patterns, and outcomes. Key Findings: • During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an 8% increase in ED use among rural Medicare FFS beneficiaries and an 8.5% increase among their urban counterparts. • ED use among dual eligibles (Medicare and Medicaid coverage) declined among rural (-6.3%) and urban (-3.3%) beneficiaries. • ED visits resulting in hospital admissions and deaths significantly increased during COVID-19. Specifically, rural EDs experienced a nearly 30% increase in patient deaths and a 17.2% increase in patients admitted for inpatient hospital care following an ED visit. View and subscribe: https://ow.ly/OOsU50UKgZq ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center #ruralhealth

As language diversity grows in rural America, health systems and training programs are taking new steps to reach patients with limited English proficiency. https://ow.ly/hr1w50UIx0i Rural Health Information Hub #ruralhealth

Types of elder abuse and reporting laws defined in state statutes do not differ significantly among three categories of state-level rurality. However, definition detail, coverage, and reporting laws vary widely across states. https://ow.ly/vaa650UFMgi University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center #ruralhealth

Between 2010 and 2022, 537 hospitals nationwide either closed entirely or stopped offering obstetrics care in both rural and urban areas, said Katy Backes Kozhimannil. https://ow.ly/isJs50UIu5w University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center #ruralhealth #maternity

🚨Rural Health Research Alert🚨 "A Rural-Urban Analysis of Buprenorphine Therapy During and After Pregnancy Among the Commercially Insured" This analysis describes the frequency of markers of evidence-based prescribing of buprenorphine-containing medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) during and surrounding pregnancy in rural and non-rural settings among commercially insured people ages 15-44. Key Takeaways: • Treatment adherence and persistence rates for pregnant individuals with OUD stand at approximately 60 percent. This emphasizes the need for targeted interventions to enhance adherence and persistence throughout the course of pregnancy. • No significant differences were observed in treatment outcomes based on rurality. Possible explanations for this finding are discussed. • There is insufficient research on treatment outcomes for OUD during pregnancy among both commercially and publicly insured individuals. Additional research is needed for those experiencing insurance churn to inform more effective interventions. • Evidence-based policies are needed to address the unique needs of pregnant individuals with OUD and enhance overall treatment efficacy. View and subscribe: https://ow.ly/30yl50UHP7X ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center #ruralhealth

Challenges to preventing and addressing elder abuse included themes related to education and awareness, outreach and engagement, limited resources and services, reporting issues, isolation, stigma, and systemic barriers. https://ow.ly/1GoY50UFMb6 University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center #ruralhealth

🚨Rural Health Research Alert🚨 "Evaluating Medicare Advantage Benchmark Setting Methodology on Rural Counties" This brief explores how the process for setting benchmark payments for Medicare Advantage plans may create different incentives across rural and urban counties. Researchers found that the benchmark setting process creates uneven incentives, leaving plans operating in nonmetropolitan counties with less incentive to offer supplemental benefits or reduced cost-sharing for enrolled beneficiaries. Key Findings: • Rural counties are less likely to rank in the lower Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) spending quartiles that receive a higher percentage of the county benchmark: 41 percent of rural counties are categorized in combined quartiles 1 and 2 versus 59 percent of urban counties. • Global caps (maximum benchmark payments based on pre-Affordable Care Act county FFS spending) on benchmark payments are much more likely in rural counties, particularly those in the lower-spending quartiles, reducing incentives for supplemental benefits or reduced cost sharing. View and subscribe: https://ow.ly/ZfhB50UGYWz RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis #ruralhealth

Rural hospital administrators from seven states identified uninsurance and underinsurance, existing community sociodemographics, and emergency room usage as key factors contributing to medical debt. https://ow.ly/LLI450UFM0i University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center #ruralhealth

🚨Rural Health Research Alert🚨 "Resources for Measuring Rurality in Research on Maternity Care" Definitions of rurality vary across research and policy, and these definitions directly affect health service eligibility, interpretation of research findings, and may impact health outcomes. The primary objective of this brief is to explore the complexities inherent in defining rurality in maternal health research. In addition, this brief aims to provide insights into how different measures of rurality influence research outcomes, with the goal of informing best practices in maternal health research. Highlights: • A critical component of addressing rural maternal health disparities is the measurement and classification of “rurality” in public health and health services research. The way rurality is defined carries important implications for public health outcomes and the applicability of research findings. • There is no single standard for measuring rurality in maternal health research, and each measure has strengths (e.g., availability in data, practicality) and weaknesses (e.g., discordance with residents' lived experiences, complexity). • Researchers should carefully consider which rurality measures best accomplish their aims, conduct sensitivity analyses around measurement decisions, and incorporate self-reported rurality measures when possible. View and subscribe: https://ow.ly/Sxo750UFqju University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center #ruralhealth