Katie Rydberg, MPH

• Current Projects - (3)
• Completed Projects - (2)
• Publications - (4)

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Current Projects - (3)

• Geographic and Socio-Demographic Correlates of Medical Debt Among Rural Residents
  Medical debt is widespread and impacts financial well-being and access to care. While research suggests that medical debt is higher among rural residents compared to urban residents, more work is needed to conclusively demonstrate rural/urban differences in medical debt and within-rural risk factors for greater medical debt by geography and socio-demographic characteristics.
  Research center: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Healthcare access, Poverty, Public health, Rural statistics and demographics, Social determinants of health
  
• Improving Health for "Homebound" Older Adults in Rural and Urban Areas
  This project will describe rural-urban differences in the risk of, and characteristics associated with, being classified as "homebound." We will also identify policy and programmatic interventions to reduce the risk of becoming homebound as well as to improve outcomes for those who are homebound.
  Research center: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Aging, Disabilities, Home health, Rural statistics and demographics, Social determinants of health
  
• Rural-Urban Differences in Access to and Quality of Care for People With Disabilities
  The purpose of this project is to identify rural-urban differences in access to and quality of health care services for people with disabilities. Results from this project will help inform policy to improve access to and quality of care for this growing population in rural areas.
  Research center: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Aging, Disabilities, Healthcare access, Quality, Social determinants of health
  

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Completed Projects - (2)

• Ransomware Attacks on Rural Hospitals
  The rise in hospital ransomware attacks threatens to harm patients, especially in rural areas. This project used a novel dataset to analyze rural/urban differences in how ransomware attacks affect patients and hospitals.
  Research center: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Emergency medical services (EMS) and trauma, Health information technology, Hospitals and clinics
  
• The Direct Care Workforce in Rural Areas
  In this study, we measured the supply of long-term care services and supports (LTSS) direct care workers relative to older adult populations in rural and urban areas and measure employer and industry turnover among LTSS direct care workers. We also explored how compensation levels – including wages and employer-based health insurance – are related to and predict worker turnover in the LTSS direct care workforce in rural and urban areas.
  Research center: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Aging, Allied health professionals, Health services, Home health, Long-term care, Post-acute care, Poverty, Rural statistics and demographics, Social determinants of health, Workforce
  

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Publications - (4)