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Non-Urgent Use Of Emergency Departments By Rural And Urban Adults, Erika Ziller Phd, Carly Milkowski, Zachariah Croll, Yvonne Jonk Phd

Access / Insurance

This study, conducted by researchers at the Maine Rural Health Research Center, provides updated information and addresses gaps in knowledge about rural non-urgent ED use. Understanding the rates of non-urgent ED use among rural adults and the factors associated with this use can inform policy and practice efforts to reduce unnecessary and inappropriate use of EDs in rural communities.

Hospital emergency departments (EDs) serve a vital role in the US health care system, providing lifesaving, around-the-clock care to patients in acute health situations. However, use of the ED for non-urgent care is costly and reflects a suboptimal care setting, with …

Identifying Rural Health Clinics Within The Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-Msis) Analytic Files, Katherine Ahrens Mph, Phd, Zachariah Croll, Yvonne Jonk Phd, John Gale Ms, Heidi O'Connor Ms

Rural Health Clinics

Researchers at the Maine Rural Health Research Center describe a methodology for identifying Rural Health Clinic encounters within the Medicaid claims data using Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) Analytic Files.

Background: There is limited information on the extent to which Rural Health Clinics (RHC) provide pediatric and pregnancy-related services to individuals enrolled in state Medicaid/CHIP programs. In part this is because methods to identify RHC encounters within Medicaid claims data are outdated.

Methods: We used a 100% sample of the 2018 Medicaid Demographic and Eligibility and Other Services Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System (T-MSIS) Analytic Files for 20 states …

Substance Use Among Rural And Urban Youth And Young Adults, Jennifer D. Lenardson Mhs, Nathan Paluso Mph, Erika C. Ziller Phd

Mental Health / Substance Use Disorders

Rural youth and young adults have historically had higher use rates of alcohol and other substances than their urban counterparts. Recent research suggests that rates of youth and young adult alcohol and other substance use have declined over the past two decades, but we have limited knowledge of whether and how current rural and urban substance use patterns may differ. As national substance use rates decline, it is important to re-assess differences in use among rural versus urban youth and young adults. This study uses data from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) to examine rural-urban differences …

Residential Settings And Healthcare Use Of The Rural "Oldest-Old" Medicare Population, Nathan Paluso Mph, Zachariah T. Croll Mph, Deborah Thayer Mba, Jean A. Talbot Phd, Mph, Andrew F. Coburn Phd

Long Term Services and Supports

The aging of the baby boom generation is projected to dramatically increase the population aged 65 and older in the coming decades. In particular, those aged 85 and older (the ‘oldest old’) are expanding at a faster rate than any other age group and by 2050 are expected to make up 4.5 percent of the population, compared to 1.9 percent in 2012. Faster growth in the percentage of older people (65+) in rural than in urban areas is likely to challenge the healthcare and long term services and supports (LTSS) capacity in many rural communities.

This study used Medicare Current …