Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Current Projects

• Availability, Care Practices, and Quality of Hospice Providers Serving Rural versus Urban Communities
  This project will examine differences in availability of hospice care in rural versus urban communities as well as provider-level quality and care practices by rural-urban status of hospices. Findings will highlight potential rural-urban disparities in hospice care that can be used to inform future Medicare policy.
  Research center: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Aging, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Health disparities and health equity, Health services, Healthcare access, Hospice and palliative care, Medicare, Quality
  
• Disparities in Mental Health Services Access: the Intersectionality of Residence Rurality, Race, and Ethnicity
  In 2021, approximately 8.6 million rural adults faced mental health challenges while millions of rural adolescents battled major depressive episodes. This study examines disparities in mental health services uptake and variation in mental health care settings across racial-ethnic and rural-urban subpopulations before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
  Research center: Rural and Minority Health Research Center
  Topics: Children and adolescents, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Health services, Healthcare access, Mental and behavioral health
  
• Examining Differences in Rural and Urban Medicare FFS Beneficiaries' Emergency Department Use Pre-COVID-19 and During COVID-19
  This study describes and compares the differences in the utilization of emergency department (ED) services among rural and urban Medicare Fee-For-Service enrollees during 2018-2021. We will identify factors associated with differences in ED use, including shifts in volume, primary diagnoses, and admission source, before and since the COVID-19 public health emergency in rural and urban areas.
  Research center: Rural Health Equity Research Center
  Topics: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), Emergency medical services (EMS) and trauma, Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access, Hospitals and clinics, Medicare, Social determinants of health
  
• 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: Rural Health Equity Research Center
  Topics: Aging, Care management, Chronic diseases and conditions, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Diabetes, Health disparities and health equity, Health promotion and disease prevention, Health services, Medicare, Mental and behavioral health, Minority health, Telehealth
  
• Rural/Urban Variations in Cancer Screening During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  Using the National Cancer Institute Health Information National Trends Survey, we will examine how the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the receipt of recommended screenings for common cancers. Findings will inform policymakers about potential widening of rural/urban disparities in the receipt of cancer preventive services and the potential need to target these services toward rural residents.
  Research center: Rural and Underserved Health Research Center
  Topics: Cancer, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Health disparities and health equity, Health promotion and disease prevention, Health services, Healthcare access
  
• Unmet Health and Social Needs of Rural Residents with Disability
  We will assess rural-urban differences in access to health care and social wellbeing for rural residents with a disability. Disability rates are often higher in rural areas and, given growing evidence of COVID-related disability, this study will provide critical information about the pre-pandemic status of unmet health and social needs among disabled persons to enable future planning.
  Research center: Maine Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Disabilities, Health disparities and health equity, Healthcare access