Research Alert: June 3, 2020

3 New Briefs from RUHRC

This research alert contains three policy briefs from the Rural and Underserved Health Research Center (RUHRC) regarding rural and urban disparities in the fee-for-service Medicare population.

• Rural/Urban Disparities in the Utilization of Health and Behavioral Assessments/Interventions in the Fee-for-Service Medicare Population
  
  Identifying behaviors that contribute to disease and modifying them can be an important step in treatment. This study investigated geographic disparities and the availability of Health and Behavioral Assessments and Interventions services in rural and urban areas by examining fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries in 2012-2016.
• Rural/Urban Disparities in Utilization of Medical Nutrition Therapy to the Fee-for-Service Medicare Population
  
  Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) is important in the treatment of many chronic conditions, but the availability of MNT in rural versus urban communities has not been examined. This study sought to identify the availability of MNT in rural and urban communities by examining Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries in 2012-2016.
• Rural/Urban Disparities in Utilization of Diabetes Self-Management Training to the Fee-for-Service Medicare Population
  
  Diabetes self-management training (DSMT) is recommended for all newly diagnosed patients with diabetes. However, the utilization rate of DSMT is low, and geographic disparities in availability exist. This study sought to identify the extent of the rural/urban disparity in the provision of DSMT to fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries in 2012-2016.

Additional Resources of Interest:

• More information about the Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
• More information from the Rural Health Information Hub's topic guides: Chronic Disease, Healthcare Access, Healthcare Workforce, Mental Health, Obesity and Weight Control