Why Coronavirus Could Hit Rural Areas Harder

Posted on by lad3

Daily Yonder, March 24, 2020

By Transmission rates may be lower in rural areas, the percentage of cases resulting in death and other serious complications could be higher in rural than in urban areas.

As rates of coronavirus (COVID-19) infection and death continue to rise, it is important to consider how rural areas may be differentially affected. On the one hand, rural parts of the U.S. may be comparatively better off than urban places due to lower population density in rural areas. Lower population density reduces opportunities for virus spread. On the other hand, there are several features of rural populations and places that increase their risk of coronavirus-related mortality and other long-term health impacts.

These include the realities that rural populations are older and have higher rates of several chronic health conditions, and rural areas have a less robust health care infrastructure to deal with coronavirus cases. Rural economies may also be affected in different ways than their urban counterparts, which has implications for long-term rural population health outcomes.

Read more.

New from the RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis: Confirmed COVID-19 Cases, Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Counties

Posted on by lad3

Fred Ullrich, BA; and Keith J. Mueller, PhD

 While the majority of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States are found in urban centers, rural areas are not free of cases. As of March 26, 2020, there were a total of 64,382 cases (data provided by USAFacts.org), with 2,180 of those cases (about 3.4 percent of the total number) reported in non-metropolitan counties. This RUPRI data brief shows the current nonmetropolitan and metropolitan spread of the disease, and the associated map shows how the disease has spread over time.

Click to download the brief: Confirmed COVID-19, Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Counties

Map:  http://ruprihealth.org/publications/other/COVID_map.gif

 

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RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
University of Iowa
College of Public Health
Department of Health Management and Policy
145 Riverside Drive, N200 – CPHB
Iowa City, IA 52242
Phone: (319) 384-3832
Fax: (319) 384-4371

Web site: www.public-health.uiowa.edu/rupri

Follow us on Twitter! @RUPRIhealth

Pennsylvania Population Estimates Released for Counties

Posted on by lad3

The U.S. Census Bureau released estimates of the total population as of July 1, 2019 at the county level. The data show that the fastest growing counties since 2010 are Cumberland (+7.6%), Lebanon (+6.1%), Lehigh (+5.6%), Centre (+5.4%), and Chester (+5.2%). Counties with the greatest percentage decreases were Cameron (-12.5%), Cambria (-9.4%), Venango (-7.9%), Susquehanna (-6.9%), and McKean (-6.5%).

By sheer numbers Philadelphia continued to add the most population this decade (+58,052). Philadelphia was followed by Montgomery (+31,075), Lancaster (+26,281), Chester (+25,856), and Lehigh (+19,643). Westmoreland County lost the most population so far this decade (-16,172). Westmoreland was followed by Cambria (-13,503), Erie (-10,856), Fayette (-7,327), and Allegheny (-7,258).

Want to take a closer look?  Find the data at: https://www.census.gov/data/datasets/time-series/demo/popest/2010s-counties-total.html

Brief Provided for EMS Agencies Published

Posted on by lad3

The national Flex Monitoring Team has released a new briefing paper on data sources to help rural EMS agencies and State Flex Programs monitor and improve rural EMS performance. Through our work with an expert panel and a review of EMS data collection efforts, we identified barriers to as well as opportunities for EMS agencies, State EMS offices, and State Flex Programs to improve the collection, reporting and use of EMS data.

This paper may be accessed via the link below or on the Flex Monitoring Team website.

Assessing the Effectiveness of CHWs

Posted on by lad3

Over the years, there have been many studies on the effectiveness of the community health worker (CHW) in improving health outcomes.  The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and the National Association of Community Health Workers recently published a summary of the research from the past 50 years.  It focused on assessing effectiveness in improving health outcomes, reducing healthcare costs and bridging the gap in health disparities.

Read the summary.

Report on CAH Hospital Compare Measures Released

Posted on by lad3

The national Flex Monitoring Team (FMT) has released reports of Critical Access Hospital (CAH) performance and reporting rates on selected Hospital Compare measures, using data from 2018.

The Hospital Compare data in this report include several measures that are also measures for the Medicare Beneficiary Quality Improvement Project (MBQIP). Although the majority of CAHs report data on these measures to both Hospital Compare and MBQIP, the data in this report may differ from MBQIP reports because some CAHs only report data to one of these programs.

The national report may accessed here and state reports may be accessed via the links below. All FMT publications can also be found on the Flex website.

Child and Maternal Health in Rural Areas Lags the Nation, Highlighting Barriers to Access

Posted on by porhpsu

February 25, 2020

One in five Americans lives in a rural area, including about 18 million women of reproductive age, but key indicators, including mortality figures, show that the health of mothers and children in these communities lags behind that of their urban peers and is worsening. Nationwide, child mortality rates have declined over the past decade, but recent research shows that improvement among infants and young children has been much slower in rural areas. To reverse these disparities and improve overall outcomes, government agencies at all levels, as well as health providers, policymakers, and communities, must combine their expertise and resources to identify effective solutions that address the complex drivers of health and well-being among mothers and their children.

Read more

Nursing Home Closures and Trends, June 2015–June 2019

Posted on by porhpsu

Provides an overview of the causes and implications of 500 nursing home closures between June 2015 and June 2019. Examines the geographic distribution of these closures, including states in which closures are concentrated in rural areas. Explores nursing home closures in relation to occupancy rates, quality ratings, tax status, and the impact of Medicaid payment policies. Offers recommendations for policymakers and nursing homes.
Sponsoring organization: LeadingAge
Date: 02/2020

Qualifications of Neighborhood-Level Social Determinants of Health in the Continental United States

Posted on by porhpsu

Results of a study examining 71,901 census tracts, to quantify the social determinants of health (SDOH) consisting of advantage, isolation, opportunity, and mixed immigrant cohesion. Features demographic statistics with breakdowns by 7 multidimensional neighborhood typologies, including Rural Affordable. Offers comparisons between SDOH in Chicago and the rest of the continental United States.
Author(s): Marynia Kolak, Jay Bhatt, Yoon Hong Park, Norma A. Padron, Ayrin Molefe
Location: JAMA Network Open, 3(1)
Date: 01/2020