Research Publications

Browse the full list of research publications from the Rural Health Research Centers.

Products – Freely accessible products include policy briefs, fact sheets, full reports, chartbooks, and interactive data websites.

Journal Articles – Articles in peer-reviewed journals may require a subscription or affiliation with a subscribing library. For these publications, Gateway lists the article citation, a brief summary, a link to additional information and access to the full-text of the article, if available.

Browse Research Products:

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Five Most Recent Publications

• Policy Implications of Fixed-to-Total-Cost Ratio Variation Across Rural and Urban Hospitals
  Journal Article
  RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
  Date: 05/2023
  This article utilizes hospital cost report data to estimate the relationship between adjusted volume and total costs of patient care. These results are used to estimate fixed-to-total-cost ratios for all nonfederal, short-term acute care hospitals in the U.S. These ratios were then stratified by rurality and Critical Access Hospital status.
• Ambulance Deserts: Geographic Disparities in the Provision of Ambulance Services
  Chartbook
  Maine Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 05/2023
  Access to timely ambulance service is an essential part of the emergency medical system. Yet ambulance access varies widely with significant gaps across the country. This research identifies places and people that are more than 25 minutes from an ambulance station, also called an ambulance desert.
• Rural Healthy People 2030: Common Challenges, Rural Nuances
  Policy Brief
  Southwest Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 05/2023
  This study analyzes the most important Healthy People 2030 priorities for rural America. Data collected from a survey found mental health, substance use, health care access, and economic stability were among the most important priorities. This information could be used to accelerate health improvements in rural America.
• Distribution of Direct Care Workforce COVID-19 Funding Between Rural and Urban Counties in Minnesota and Illinois
  Policy Brief
  University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 05/2023
  The purpose of this policy brief is to examine trends in the distribution of federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Securities Act of 2020 (CARES Act) funding designed to support the direct care workforce between rural and urban counties in Minnesota and Illinois.
• Factors Associated With Lengths-of-Stay for Inpatients With Substance Use Disorders
  Policy Brief
  Rural Health Equity Research Center
  Date: 04/2023
  This policy brief identifies factors associated with inpatient length-of-stay (LOS) for the treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs), and whether there are systematic differences in LOS for rural and urban residents.