Alana Knudson, PhD

Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center

Phone: 701.777.4205
E-mail: aknudson@medicine.nodak.edu

University of North Dakota

Completed Projects

Hospitalizations of Rural Children for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions
Research center: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Children, Chronic diseases and conditions
This project uses state inpatient discharge data from six states, data from the Area Resource File and the AHRQ Pediatric Quality Indicators to examine Ambulatory Care Sensitive Condition admission rates for rural children.

Impact of Health Insurance Coverage on Native Elder Health: Implications for Addressing the Health Care Needs of Rural American Indian Elders
Research center: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
Funder: Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP)
Topics: Aging, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Frontier health, Health insurance and the uninsured, Minority health, Rural statistics and demographics
This project examined the types of health insurance coverage of rural Native American elders ages 55 and older, and examine how different types of health insurance coverage and lack of health insurance coverage impact access to health care services among Native American elders by geographic location (rural frontier, rural non-frontier and urban).

Publications

• Ambulatory Care Sensitive Condition Hospitalizations Among Rural Children
  Author(s): Michelle Casey, Alana Knudson, Michele Burlew, Gestur Davidson
  Research center: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Children, Chronic diseases and conditions, Hospitals and clinics
  Report Number: Working Paper No. 4
  Date: 02 / 2007
  Ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) are conditions for which inpatient hospital admissions could potentially be avoided through better outpatient care. Using hospital inpatient discharge data from six states, this study examined the relationships between children’s inpatient hospitalizations for ACSCs, rural residence, poverty, health insurance, and physician supply. Admission rates for five conditions were examined: asthma, diabetes short-term complications, gastroenteritis, urinary tract infection and perforated appendix. Hospitalization rates for four of the five conditions are significantly higher for children living in rural areas than in urban areas. Condition-specific ACSC hospitalization rates for children also vary significantly across states, even after adjusting for rurality, poverty, uninsurance, and physician supply.
• Ambulatory Care Sensitive Condition Hospitalizations Among Rural Children (Brief)
  Author(s): Michelle Casey, Alana Knudson, Michele Burlew, Gestur Davidson
  Research center: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Children, Chronic diseases and conditions, Hospice and palliative care
  Report Number: Policy Brief
  Date: 06 / 2007
  Reports results from a study examining children's inpatient hospitalizations for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (ACSCs), rural residence, poverty, health insurance, and physician supply. Admission rates for five conditions were examined: asthma, diabetes short-term complications, gastroenteritis, urinary tract infection and perforated appendix.
• Chronic Disease in American Indian/Alaska Native Elders
  Author(s): Patricia L. Moulton, Leander R. McDonald, Kyle J. Muus, Alana D. Knudson, Richard L. Ludtke
  Research center: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: American Indians and Alaska Natives, Chronic diseases and conditions, Minority health
  Citation: The IHS Primary Care Provider, 30(5), 53-54
  Date: 2005
  Describes the prevalence of chronic diseases among Native American elders.
• Impact of Health Insurance Coverage on Native Elder Health: Implications for Addressing the Health Care Needs of Rural Native American Elders
  Author(s): Alana Knudson, Mary Wakefield, Kyle Muus, Jacque Gray, Leander McDonald, Richard Ludtke, Gestur Davidson
  Research center: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: American Indians and Alaska Natives, Health insurance and the uninsured, Minority health
  Report Number: Final Report No. 6
  Date: 10 / 2007
  Examines health insurance coverage and access to health care among American Indian and Alaska Native elders (Native elders) -- defined as 55 years or older. Young elders, 55 to 64 years of age, are most likely to be uninsured with one-third reporting having no insurance, while 15% of older elders, 65 years of age and over, report they are uninsured. Uninsured Native elders are about twice as likely as insured Native elders to indicate they have no regular provider. In addition, one out of 10 Native elders report they were not able to get care when they needed it during the preceding 12 months. Reasons cited for not getting health care when it was needed included long waiting times, transportation problems, and cost. The authors conclude it is essential to develop policies that address the financial, geographical, and cultural aspects that negatively impact access to culturally appropriate healthcare. Full report available on request by contacting aknudson@medicine.nodak.edu.
• Prevalence of Chronic Disease Among American Indian and Alaska Native Elders
  Author(s): Patricia Moulton, Leander McDonald, Kyle Muus, Alana Knudson, Mary Wakefield, Richard Ludtke
  Research center: Upper Midwest Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Aging, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Chronic diseases and conditions, Minority health
  Date: 10 / 2005
  Examines chronic disease prevalence and functional limitations among American Indian/Alaska Natives by rurality, gender, age, health care access, and health behaviors. Includes policy recommendations.