Elizabeth Crouch, PhD

• Current Projects - (6)
• Completed Projects - (8)
• Publications - (23)

Current Projects - (6)

• Environmental Influences on Child Health: A Snapshot of Children's Health in the United States
  The environment in which a child grows up strongly influences their health in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Using data for 2022 and 2023 from five national data sets, this project will provide a comprehensive update on rural-urban differences in child health in the U.S.
  Research center: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Children and adolescents, Chronic diseases and conditions, Healthcare access, Obesity, Oral health, Poverty, Public health, Social determinants of health
  
• Oral Healthcare Utilization and Outcomes of Rural and Urban Medicaid-Insured Children in the United States
  Using nationally representative Medicaid claims data, this project will determine rural-urban differences in the prevalence of early childhood caries, preventative dental visits, and restorative dental visits.
  Research center: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Children and adolescents, Medicaid and CHIP, Oral health, Rural statistics and demographics
  
• Rural-Urban Differences in Addressable Drivers of Staff Turnover in Skilled Nursing Facilities
  The aim of the proposed study is to assess facility-level turnover rates for total nursing and registered nursing personnel across levels of rurality and by region looking at factors such as staffing ratios that can be managed by facility administrators.
  Research center: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Health services, Hospitals and clinics, Nurses and nurse practitioners, Public health, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Workforce
  
• Rural-Urban Differences in Emergency Department Utilization and Costs for Dental Conditions
  Emergency Department (ED) Utilization is a de facto provider for untreated dental issues. Understanding rural-urban differences in ED use for dental conditions in recent years is essential to inform federal, state, and community-level dental health initiatives such as preventive dental care, tele-dentistry infrastructure expansion, and oral hygiene practices. Ongoing national efforts addressing rural disparities in dental care should target individuals most at risk for missing preventive care and utilizing the ED for dental care.
  Research center: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Emergency medical services (EMS) and trauma, Oral health
  
• Spatial Distribution of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Need and Care
  The incidence of HIV is disproportionately high in rural areas, but these communities often lack access to evidence-based interventions to prevent new HIV diagnoses such as PrEP. Using Medicaid claims data and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Provider file, this study will determine geographic disparities (by rurality and region) in the need for PrEP and PrEP availability and identify whether PrEP availability meets the needs across geography.
  Research center: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Topic: Pharmacy and prescription drugs
  
• State-Level Medicaid Bundled Payments and Rural Perinatal Care
  The impacts of state-level Medicaid bundled payment models will depend on many factors, such as maternity care facility structure, scope of services, and local patient bypassing behaviors during prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum periods. For rural providers who often offer prenatal and postpartum care but not labor and delivery services, these bundled payments may impose additional financial and logistical challenges.
  Research center: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Maternal health, Medicaid and CHIP
  

Completed Projects - (8)

• Assessing Geographic Variability in Key Indicators of Water Quality and Air Quality: A Comparison of Urban vs. Rural Communities
  The purpose of this project was to compare air and water quality indicators across U.S. Census tracts specifically focusing on rural vs. urban differences.
  Research center: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Environmental and agricultural health, Public health, Social determinants of health
  
• Changes in Medicare Fee-for-Services Health Care Expenditures in Rural and Urban Communities after Passage of the Affordable Care Act
  This project assessed changes in Medicare per-beneficiary spending across rural and urban counties from 2007 to 2020. It examined differences in rural versus urban per-beneficiary spending on hospital inpatient, hospital outpatient, physician, and post-acute care after the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
  Research center: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Care management, Chronic diseases and conditions, Health services, Hospitals and clinics, Public health
  
• Examining Rural-Urban Differences in Availability of Hospital Cardiac Testing Services Between 2010-2020
  This project will examine whether the availability of hospital-based cardiac testing services has changed over the past ten years in rural and urban counties and identify the characteristics of counties where service availability has changed.
  Research center: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Care management, Chronic diseases and conditions, Health services, Hospitals and clinics, Public health
  
• Identifying High-Need Counties for Resource Planning
  The primary aim of this project was to use data examining health care infrastructure, chronic disease prevalence, and the socioeconomic environment to create a metric for classifying rural counties based on needs and resources.
  Research center: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Chronic diseases and conditions, Diabetes, Healthcare access, Maternal health, Obesity, Oral health, Physicians, Poverty, Public health, Rural statistics and demographics, Social determinants of health, Uninsured and underinsured, Workforce
  
• Promotion of Rural Health Research Center Attendance at Cancer-Related Meetings
  This project will promote attendance at cancer-related meetings by Rural Health Research Centers by facilitating the dissemination of information regarding important cancer meetings and handling the travel arrangements for Rural Health Research Center personnel.
  Research center: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Topic: Cancer
  
• Rural-Urban Differences in Child and Adolescent Mental Health pre and during the COVID-19 Pandemic
  This project examined rural-urban differences in the prevalence and severity of anxiety and depression among children and adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as examined rural-urban differences in access to mental health care professionals and the receipt of care from a mental health professional before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  Research center: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Children and adolescents, Health services, Mental and behavioral health
  
• Rural-Urban Disparities in Mental Health Access and Quality in the United States
  The purpose of this project was to document the recent trends of mental health care access and quality in urban and rural communities.
  Research center: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Healthcare access, Mental and behavioral health
  
• The Rural Landscape of Diabetes in the United States
  Rural-urban differences in diabetes and diabetes management may be attributed to socioeconomic differences and treatment available to rural residents. Using data from 2021-2024 National Health Interview Survey, this study examined 1) rural-urban differences in diabetes and prediabetes incidence and prevalence, 2) rural-urban differences in the management, treatment, and complications associated with diabetes, and co-occurring risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
  Research center: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Diabetes, Healthcare access, Rural statistics and demographics
  

Publications - (23)