Robert P. Pack, PhD, MPH

Rural Health Equity Research Center

Phone: 423.439.4243
Email: packr@etsu.edu

East Tennessee State University
Lamb Hall-101
156 S. Dossett Drive
Johnson City, TN 37614


Current Projects - (2)

  • Characteristics of Buprenorphine Therapy Among Commercially-Insured Pregnant and Postpartum Women
    This project will analyze claims from a national commercial insurance database to characterize buprenorphine therapy initiation persistence and adherence among pregnant and postpartum women with opioid use disorder (OUD) and assess differences in buprenorphine OUD treatment characteristics among rural and urban pregnant/postpartum women.
    Research center: Rural Health Equity Research Center
    Topics: Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access, Maternal health, Substance use and treatment
  • Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Penetration in Rural vs. Urban Healthcare Settings in the U.S.
    This study will include an analysis of 2018/2019 Medicare, Medicaid and Commercial claims to compare the penetration of Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) and its different components in rural compared to urban healthcare settings. Within the overarching analysis, the study team will examine the type of interventions conducted within the SBIRT framework stratified by provider type, healthcare setting, and rural and urban provider ZIP codes. Findings will be analyzed within the context of county-level substance use rates, historical enactment of state SBIRT billing codes, overdoses, and alcohol poisoning-based hospital admissions contrasting trends in SBIRT administration with a proxy for community need.
    Research center: Rural Health Equity Research Center
    Topics: Chronic diseases and conditions, Health promotion and disease prevention, Medicaid and CHIP, Medicare, Mental and behavioral health, Private health insurance, Public health, Substance use and treatment

Completed Projects - (1)

  • Assessment of the Area Deprivation Index in Rural Areas
    The Area Deprivation Index (ADI) was created by University of Wisconsin researchers to provide a score for neighborhoods based on their level of disadvantage. This study characterized differences in ADI in rural vs urban areas, summarized the existing literature on ADI, and described expert considerations for utilizing the ADI for future policy.
    Research center: Rural Health Equity Research Center
    Topics: Frontier health, Health disparities and health equity, Poverty, Rural statistics and demographics, Social determinants of health

Publications - (1)

2024