Jeffery Talbert, PhD

• Current Projects - (5)
• Completed Projects - (5)
• Publications - (9)

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Current Projects - (5)

• Availability and Characteristics of Outpatient and Residential Substance Use Treatment in Rural and Urban Areas
  This study will look at: 1) the availability of residential and outpatient treatment centers in rural and urban counties, including identifying counties with no facilities; and 2) characteristics of services offered (e.g., residential, outpatient), demographics of persons treated, and insurance plans accepted by rural vs urban centers.
  Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
  Topics: Health services, Healthcare access, Mental and behavioral health, Pharmacy and prescription drugs, Social determinants of health, Substance use and treatment
  
• Evaluating the Impact of Inflation Reduction Act Provisions on Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Costs
  Using Merative MarketScan data, this study will evaluate changes in the affordability of prescription drugs for urban and rural Medicare beneficiaries before and after the recent Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The primary outcome will be an assessment of whether the IRA succeeded in reducing costs and identifying any remaining health disparities.
  Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
  Topics: Healthcare financing, Medicare Advantage (MA), Pharmacy and prescription drugs
  
• Impact of High Deductible Health Plans on Rural Populations
  Using data from Merative MarketScan insurance claims, this study will investigate utilization, spending, and care patterns of rural members enrolled in high deductible health plans (HDHP) compared to traditional plans. Trends in health outcomes before and after HDHP growth will be assessed to inform policy design tailored to rural residents.
  Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
  Topics: Healthcare access, Healthcare financing, Private health insurance, Rural statistics and demographics
  
• Mental Health Treatment Among Rural and Urban Adults at Risk for Suicide
  This study will look at rural/urban disparities in 1) the receipt and sources of mental health treatment among adults with suicidal thoughts and attempts using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health; and 2) mental health follow-up visits among adults with a hospital admission or emergency department visit for self-inflicted harm using data from a national insurance claims dataset.
  Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
  Topics: Health services, Healthcare access, Mental and behavioral health, Post-acute care
  
• Third Party Negotiated Pricing in Rural and Urban Hospitals
  We will use third party negotiated pricing information to compare prices in urban and rural hospitals, across a variety of common services. Because there has been poor compliance with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requirement to publish third party negotiated pricing, we will also examine if the availability of this information differs for rural and urban hospitals.
  Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
  Topics: Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Healthcare financing, Hospitals and clinics, Medicare, Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS), Private health insurance
  

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Completed Projects - (5)

• Barriers and Disparities Associated with Pneumococcal Immunization Among Rural Elderly Adults
  Our Center conducted analyses of national survey data and unique insurance claims data sets to identify how rurality of residence and key demographic, social, and economic characteristics serve as barriers or facilitators to vaccination against pneumococcal disease, which is relatively common although largely preventable among older Americans.
  Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
  Topic: Health promotion and disease prevention
  
• Diabetes Management in Urban and Rural Areas of the U.S.
  This project used the IBM MarketScan database to examine differences in type 2 diabetes prevalence and monitoring for a commercially insured sample. It also employed definitions from the Health Effectiveness Data and Information Set guidelines for comprehensive diabetes care to determine if rural residents are more or less likely to meet recommended standards for type 2 diabetes monitoring and control.
  Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
  Topics: Care management, Chronic diseases and conditions, Diabetes, Health promotion and disease prevention, Health services, Healthcare access, Private health insurance, Quality
  
• Lung Diseases Among Coal Miners
  Coal miners are at increased risk of lung diseases. Using secondary datasets, we will assess the distribution of lung diseases across regions, identify patterns of healthcare utilization among miners relative to HRSA-funded Black Lung Clinics, and compare healthcare utilization patterns, behaviors, and comorbidities among miners and non-miners.
  Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
  Topics: Chronic diseases and conditions, Environmental and agricultural health, Health services
  
• Medicare Beneficiaries' Access to Preventive Services: Diabetes Self-Management Training, Medical Nutrition Therapy, and Health and Behavior Assessment and Intervention
  Medicare offers preventive services focused on self-management through several programs: Diabetes Self-Management Training, Medical Nutrition Therapy, and Health and Behavior Assessment and Intervention.
  Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
  Topics: Diabetes, Health promotion and disease prevention, Medicare, Obesity
  
• Rural Access to Opioid Treatment Program Clinics and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics
  This project identified all Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics and Opioid Treatment Program Clinics in the U.S. and then presented the number of rural and urban clinics in each state as frequency tables and map visualizations.
  Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
  Topics: Health services, Healthcare access, Mental and behavioral health, Substance use and treatment
  

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Publications - (9)