WWAMI Rural Health Research Center

Current Projects

Dentist Supply, Access to Dental Care, and Oral Health among Rural and Urban Residents: A National Study
This study will determine whether shortages of dentists in rural areas of the U.S. are associated with impaired access to dental care and a higher prevalence of dental disease.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Dental health, Workforce

Do Rural Patients with Early Stage Prostate Cancer Gain Access to All Treatment Choices?
This research will use cancer registry data from 10 states to examine the degree to which rural residents diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer access the full range of surveillance, surgical, and radiation treatment options. Study findings will inform cancer centers, advocacy groups, rural program planners, and policymakers about services and programs needed to ensure that rural prostate cancer patients can choose from among all treatment options.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Chronic diseases and conditions, Health services

Factors Associated with Rural-Residing Registered Nurses’ Choices to Work in Urban Locations and Larger Rural Cities
While larger numbers of registered nurses (RNs) are living in rural areas, research from the WWAMI RHRC shows that since 1980, a growing percentage are commuting from rural residences to work within urban and larger rural cities. This study will explore factors that may be associated with RNs’ decisions to commute away from their rural areas of residence to work in less rural areas.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Mid-level practitioners, Nurses, Workforce

Future of Family Medicine and Implications for Primary Care Physician Supply
This project describes recent trends in medical student interest and national match rates in primary care and family medicine, the effect of increasing proportions of female physicians on rural practice patterns, and implications of declining interest in primary care on health and the health workforce.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Physicians, Workforce

General and Specialist Surgeon Supply and Inpatient Procedural Content: A National Rural-Urban Study
This study will examine the degree to which access to inpatient surgical care in rural areas is affected by the diminishing workforce of general surgeons. Using inpatient surgical procedure data, we will examine the availability and content of general surgical procedures in rural and urban hospitals nationally as a function of surgeon supply.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topic: Workforce

Improvement in the Quality of Care for Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI): Have Rural Hospitals Followed National Trends?
This project will determine whether overall improvements in the quality of care for AMI among Medicare patients, as measured by adherence to guidelines, have taken place in both rural and urban hospital settings.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Hospitals and clinics, Quality

National Study of Available Information on H1-B, J-1 and other International Medical Graduate Information
This project is examining sources of data and information on various pathways by which international medical graduates can enter into the U.S. physician workforce, focusing on H1-B visas and J-1 visas.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: International Medical Graduates (IMGs), J-1 Visa Waiver, Workforce

National Study of Rural-Urban Differences in Use of Home Oxygen for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease: Are Rural Medicare Beneficiaries Disadvantaged?
To understand disparities in care among rural and urban Medicare beneficiaries, data from Medicare's Durable Medical Equipment (DME) files were used to assess rural/urban variation in the home use of supplemental oxygen.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Chronic diseases and conditions, Medicare

Rural Family Medicine Residency Training Survey: Follow-up to 2000 Survey
National survey of family medicine residency training programs to quantify the amount and location of rural training. The survey will also identify training that occurs in federally-qualified health centers.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Physicians, Workforce

Trends in Access to Health Care among Rural Residents: A National Study
This study used national data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to ascertain the extent to which individual rural residents lack access to health care providers.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Health disparities, Health services, Rural statistics and demographics

Use of Recommended Radiation Therapy in the Rural U.S.
This study will use cancer registry data from 10 U.S. states to examine which rural cancer patients are receiving recommended radiation therapy, and what factors influence receipt of recommended treatment. Identifying gaps in radiation therapy will inform cancer centers, rural program planners, and policy makers in rural cancer service locations and cancer support program development.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Chronic diseases and conditions, Health services

WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) Rural Health Workforce Monograph: Guide for State Legislators Regarding Rural Workforce Information and Issues
This project will compile and present state-level information about the rural health workforce in the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) region, including data on various health care disciplines. The resulting monograph will illustrate issues such as the shortage of different types of health care providers in various kinds of rural locations.
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Dental health, Nurses, Physicians, Workforce