Rural Health Research Gateway

Southwest Rural Health Research Center

Publications

Listed by publication date. You can also view these publications alphabetically.

2006

  • Differences Between Newly Admitted Nursing Home Residents in Rural and Nonrural Areas in a National Sample
    Author(s): Jane Nelson Bolin, Charles D Phillips, Catherine Hawes
    Citation: Gerontologist, 46(1), 33-41
    Date: 2006
    Topics: Long term care, Rural statistics and demographics
    This research investigates whether differences in acuity are a function of differences in resident payer status and occur for both individuals admitted for short stays, with Medicare as payer, and those needing chronic care. Results of the analyses indicated that non-Medicare residents admitted to rural nursing facilities have lower acuity scores than non-Medicare residents admitted to metropolitan nursing homes. Individuals admitted under Medicare were similar in rural and urban areas.

2005

  • State of Rural Hospital Nursing and Allied Health Professional Shortages
    Date: 12 / 2005
    Topics: Allied health professionals, Hospitals and clinics, Nurses, Workforce
    This study estimated shortages of nurses and allied health personnel among rural hospitals in order to gauge the difficulty experienced by rural hospitals in recruiting such personnel. Additionally, the study examined strategies these hospitals employ in recruitment and retention of nurses, and addressed strategies that might effectively address such shortages. Report available on request.
  • Community Health Worker (CHW) Certification and Training: A National Survey of Regionally and State-Based Programs
    Author(s): Marlynn L. May, Bita Kash, Ricardo Contreras
    Date: 05 / 2005
    Topic: Workforce
    Reports the results of a qualitative study of states provides a national overview of state policy and state involvement in the standardized training and certification of Community Health Workers.
  • National Study Comparing Resident Medication Use in Rural and Non-Rural Assisted Living Facilities
    Date: 02 / 2005
    Topics: Long term care, Pharmacy and prescription drugs
    In addition to comparing rural and non-rural assisted living residents' medication utilization, this study examined the prevalence of inappropriately prescribed medications (IPMs) and drug-to-drug interactions (DDIs) among residents of rural and non-rural assisted living facilities (ALFs). Residents of rural ALFs tended to be somewhat more impaired in physical functioning and cognitive status, and on average, took slightly more medications than their non-rural counterparts. Residents in rural ALFs appeared somewhat more likely to have an IPM and a DDI, a finding that, although not statistically significant, is consistent with their higher likelihood of taking more medications and their slightly lower likelihood of being in a facility with a RN on staff. Report available on request.

2004

  • Community Health Workers: Status of Certification and Training
    Report Number: Policy Brief
    Date: 11 / 2004
    Topic: Workforce
    Provides a national overview of state policy and state involvement in the standardized training and certification of Community Health Workers.
  • Mujer y Corazon: Community Health Workers and their Organizations in Colonias on the U.S.-Mexico Border
    Author(s): Marlynn L. May, Ricardo B. Contreras, Linda Callejas, Elvia Ladezma
    Report Number: Policy Brief
    Date: 10 / 2004
    Topics: Border and international health, Hispanics, Minority health, Workforce
    Reports the results of a study that analyzed the Community Health Worker (CHW) organizations and practices to learn how they work and why they are key resources in colonias for improving the health of the communities. The study also examined the relationships of the CHW with and their impact on the communities they serve, finding variation programmatically, structurally, and geographically. A full report is also available.
  • Mujer Y Corazon: Community Health Workers and Their Organizations in Colonias on the US-Mexico Border: An Exploratory Study
    Author(s): Marlynn L. May, Ricardo B. Contreras, Linda Callejas, Elvia Ledezma
    Date: 08 / 2004
    Topics: Border and international health, Hispanics, Minority health, Workforce
    Reports the results of a study that analyzed the Community Health Worker (CHW) organizations and practices to learn how they work and why they are key resources in colonias for improving the health of the communities. The study also examined the relationships of the CHW with and their impact on the communities they serve, finding variation programmatically, structurally, and geographically. A policy brief is also available.
  • Nursing Homes In Rural And Urban Areas, 2001
    Author(s): Charles D. Phillips, Catherine Hawes, Malgorzata Leyk Williams
    Date: 06 / 2004
    Topics: Long term care, Quality, Rural statistics and demographics
    Chart book providing descriptive data on the entire population of longer-stay nursing home residents in the country in calendar year 2001 and categorizing them according to the rurality of the nursing home in which they receive care in an effort to address questions related to residents' characteristics and quality of care.
  • Assisted Living: Is It An Option For Rural Areas?
    Report Number: Policy Brief
    Date: 05 / 2004
    Topic: Long term care
    Highlights the key findings of the national survey of assisted living regarding supply, services, and affordability of assisted living facilities in rural areas.
  • Chronic Disease Management In Rural Areas
    Report Number: Policy Brief
    Date: 05 / 2004
    Topic: Chronic diseases and conditions
    Describes a study of six chronic disease management programs throughout the United States. Discusses issues related to chronic disease management in rural areas.
  • Expanding Residential Care And Assisted Living In Rural America
    Report Number: Policy Brief
    Date: 05 / 2004
    Topic: Long term care
    There is an undersupply of assisted living facilities (ALFs) in rural areas. This policy brief provides options for state policymakers and advocates to consider in expanding the availability and nature of assisted living and other types of housing with supportive services in rural areas.
  • Rural Healthy People 2010: A Companion Document to Healthy People 2010. Volume 3
    Author(s): Larry D. Gamm, Linnae L. Hutchison, eds.
    Report Number: Updated February 2005
    Date: 04 / 2004
    Topics: Health promotion and disease prevention, Health services, Healthy People 2010 (Rural), Long term care, Physical abuse and domestic violence, Public health
    Includes the overview of research and accompanying models for practice on 5 new focus areas in Rural Healthy People 2010, along with the more detailed literature reviews for each. The focus areas are: Access to Quality Health Services in Rural Areas/Access to Long-term Care; Educational and Community-based Programs in Rural Areas; Immunizations and Infectious Diseases in Rural Areas; Injury and Violence Prevention in Rural Areas; and Rural Public Health Infrastructure.
  • Chronic Disease Management in Rural Areas: A Research Update
    Date: 2004
    Topic: Chronic diseases and conditions
    Discusses rural implementation of chronic disease management. Includes a list of benefits and barriers related to disease management.

2003

  • Chronic Disease Management In Rural And Underserved Areas: Patient Responses And Outcomes
    Report Number: Final Report
    Date: 11 / 2003
    Topic: Chronic diseases and conditions
    Findings from site visits and interviews with six chronic disease management (DM) programs across the United States indicated DM programs were extremely important in the areas of patient health care, quality of care, and resulted in positive clinical and financial outcomes. Respondents indicated that the most important DM program was diabetes, followed closely by DM programs for congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and depression. DM programs resulted in 30% reduction in hospital inpatient stays and 17 % savings in health plan per member per month expenditures. A policy brief is also available. Report available on request.
  • Assisted Living In Rural America: Results from a National Survey
    Author(s): Catherine Hawes, Charles D. Phillips, Scott Holan, Michael Sherman
    Date: 08 / 2003
    Topics: Long term care, Rural statistics and demographics
    Provides descriptive information on the assisted living industry in metropolitan and rural areas. Results indicate that assisted living was largely a private-pay form of long-term care and was more common in metropolitan than rural areas. Findings suggest that assisted living, as currently structured, will make only a marginal contribution to meeting the needs of frail elders living in rural areas.
  • Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening: Is it Reaching Rural and Rural Minority Women?
    Date: 04 / 2003
    Topics: Health promotion and disease prevention, Hispanics, Women
    Examines whether the Texas Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCCP) is reaching rural women in general and rural minority women in particular. Findings indicate that Hispanic women, both in rural and non-rural, are over-represented among BCCCP clients as compared to race/ethnicity specific cancer incidence and mortality. In contrast, within race/ethnicity groups, Anglo women represent a higher proportion of the rural women being reached by the program. Findings also indicate that a severe shortage of local providers to contract with the program in rural Texas has been and will continue to be a major limitation. In addition, contracting requirements can be a burden and an obstacle to potential providers. Concludes that there is a need in Texas to target specific rural areas based on the incidence and mortality experience of the population. To accomplish this, the contracting process needs to be made more flexible to enable small providers, reimbursement rates may need to be raised, and administrative burdens may need to be lessened.
  • Nursing Homes in Rural and Urban Areas, 2000
    Author(s): Charles D. Phillips, Catherine Hawes, Malgorzata Leyk Williams
    Date: 02 / 2003
    Topic: Long term care
    This report focuses on two basic dimensions of nursing homes; Federally-certified nursing homes and the residents in those homes, and homes operating in settings that differ in their degree of rurality and their geographic location. The study found that there are higher percentages of elderly population in rural areas, and also that the utilization rates of nursing homes is higher in rural areas. Homes in rural areas are more likely to have fewer beds than urban homes and are also more likely to be government-funded and owned than urban nursing homes. Rural nursing homes are more likely to be below the nursing staff and aides' threshold than homes in urban areas. Overall, these problems put rural nursing homes at higher risk for poor outcomes in nursing homes, but it is most apparent in extremely isolated rural areas.
  • Nursing Homes in Rural America
    Date: 2003
    Topics: Aging, Long term care
    Policy brief that discusses the main findings of a 2000 survey of 17,000 nursing homes related to rural elderly.
  • Rural Healthy People 2010: A Companion Document to Healthy People 2010. Volume 1
    Author(s): Larry D. Gamm, Linnae L. Hutchison, Betty J. Dabney, Alicia M. Dorsey, eds.
    Date: 2003
    Topics: Health promotion and disease prevention, Healthy People 2010 (Rural), Public health
    Brief overviews of the top rural health concerns and objectives associated with Healthy People 2010 focus areas, including, Access to Quality Health Services (Insurance, Primary Care, and EMS); Cancer; Diabetes; Heart Disease and Stroke; Maternal, Infant, and Child Health; Mental Health and Mental Disorders; Nutrition and Overweight Concerns; Oral Health; Substance Abuse; and Tobacco Use. Also included are references to key literature about these concerns, and descriptions of models for practice that rural communities can draw upon to achieve key Healthy People 2010 objectives.
  • Rural Healthy People 2010: A Companion Document to Healthy People 2010. Volume 2
    Author(s): Larry D. Gamm, Linnae L. Hutchison, Betty J. Dabney, Alicia M. Dorsey, eds.
    Date: 2003
    Topics: Health promotion and disease prevention, Healthy People 2010 (Rural), Public health
    Detailed literature reviews and associated references for the top rural health concerns addressed in Vol. 1 of Rural Healthy People 2010.

This web site includes content provided by and adapted from the Maine Rural Health Research Center, University of Southern Maine under a Cooperative Agreement with the University of North Dakota.