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

• Examining the Burden of Chronic Disease and Low SES to Identify High-Need Rural Counties
  Journal Article
  University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 09/2025
  This study identifies rural counties with high chronic disease burden and low socioeconomic status; describes the geographic and demographic patterns of these high-need counties; and examines whether counties with greater need also experience reduced geographic access to critical health care services.
• A Review of Common Limitations in Rural-Related Studies in the Peer-Reviewed Literature
  Policy Brief
  ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 09/2025
  This study describes limitations commonly reported in rural-related studies on health, with a focus on studies using secondary, quantitative data.
• Reasons for Experiencing Delayed or Forgone Health Care Among Rural American Indian/Alaska Native and Rural Non-Hispanic White Individuals, 2022
  Policy Brief
  University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 09/2025
  The purpose of this policy brief is to show reported reasons for experiencing delayed or forgone health care and how this differs between rural American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and rural non-Hispanic white people as well as by Indian Health Service care access among rural AI/AN people.
• Comparing Utilization of Home Health Care Between Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage by Rural-Urban Status
  Report
  WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 09/2025
  This report compares utilization of home health care between beneficiaries enrolled in Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage and rural-urban status. Researchers examined differences in use of home health, provision of specific services during home health, and receipt of care from high-quality home health agencies.
• Distribution of Block Grant Funding: Considerations for Rural Communities
  Policy Brief
  ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
  Date: 09/2025
  Block grant funding allows states flexibility in how to use and allocate these funds. This study describes the process of and considerations for the distribution of these funds from states to local communities, with a focus on potential implications for rural communities.