Rural Health
Research Gateway

Care management

Current Projects

  • Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) Among Rural Residents: The State of the Field and Promising Research Directions
    This project seeks to identify what is known about rural Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) prevalence, outcomes, and health care utilization, and what public data exist to inform research rural ADRD going forward.
    Research center: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Aging, Care management, Healthcare access, Mental and behavioral health, Social determinants of health
  • Examining Post-Acute Care Utilization and Outcomes for Rural Medicare FFS and Medicare Advantage Beneficiaries
    This study will describe differences in post-acute care utilization and post-discharge outcomes between rural Medicare Fee-for-Service beneficiaries and rural Medicare Advantage beneficiaries overall, by region of the country, and levels of rurality.
    Research center: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Care management, Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Healthcare access, Home health, Medicare, Medicare Advantage (MA), Post-acute care
  • Health, Well-being, and Supportive Services for Caregivers by Rural-Urban Location
    Informal caregivers (sometimes called "unpaid" or "family" caregivers) make up the majority of all care provided in the U.S., yet their labor often goes unseen and undervalued. Such caregiving takes many forms, including caring for an older adult requiring long-term services and supports, caring for an adult with a long-term disability, or caring for children. This project will build on prior University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center research to further explore dimensions of rural and urban caregiver characteristics and access to services, and new and emerging models to support health of rural caregivers.
    Research center: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Aging, Care management, Disabilities, Long-term care, Workforce
  • Rural and Urban Sepsis Outcomes as a Measure of Health Care Quality: A Nationwide Comparative Analysis Using HCUP Data
    This study examines differences in sepsis prevalence, outcomes, costs, and treatment between rural and urban hospitals using the HCUP Nationwide Readmissions Database. It aims to inform policies related to access to timely, high-quality sepsis care and identify strategies to enhance healthcare outcomes across diverse hospital settings.
    Research center: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Care management, Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Emergency medical services (EMS) and trauma, Healthcare access, Hospitals and clinics, Medicaid and CHIP, Medicare, Medicare Advantage (MA), Private health insurance, Quality, Social determinants of health
  • Rural-Urban Differences in Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder Among Pregnant Women
    This study will look at how recent trends have shaped access to treatment for pregnant women with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and will explore differences across rural and urban regions of the U.S. This project will help understand the landscape of access to Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) intervention and identify rural gaps in sustainable treatment infrastructure and supportive services.
    Research center: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Care management, Emergency medical services (EMS) and trauma, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Healthcare access, Hospitals and clinics, Maternal health, Substance use and treatment, Telehealth, Women
  • Rural/Urban Differences in Forgoing Health Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic
    Several surveys conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic showed that adults delayed or skipped healthcare services during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines changes in healthcare utilization for primary and preventative care among rural and urban Medicare fee-for-service enrollees since the COVID-19 pandemic.
    Research center: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Aging, Care management, Chronic diseases and conditions, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Diabetes, Health promotion and disease prevention, Health services, Medicare, Mental and behavioral health, Telehealth
  • Usual Source of Care for Rural and Urban Children in the United States
    This project will use four years (2021-2024) of data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to examine rural-urban differences in usual source of care settings and telehealth utilization among children as well as the association between usual source of care settings and telehealth use.
    Research center: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Care management, Children and adolescents, Chronic diseases and conditions, Emergency medical services (EMS) and trauma, Health information technology, Health services, Healthcare access, Poverty, Rural statistics and demographics, Telehealth
  • Utilization of Medicare Care Management Codes
    This study assesses the adoption of Medicare care management billing codes among rural and urban providers and the extent to which rural Medicare beneficiaries access these services. Using 2024 Medicare fee-for-service claims and provider data, this study will analyze trends in provider participation and utilization by service type, region, and rurality.
    Research center: ETSU/NORC Rural Health Research Center
    Topics: Care management, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Health services, Medicare, Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Social determinants of health