Category: Research

New Health Workforce Projections Data Available

December 6, 2024

New Health Workforce Projections Data Available

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) just released the latest projections for the national supply, demand, and distribution of health care workers.

Use the Workforce Projections Dashboard to explore supply and demand trends by occupation, state, year, and more.

Check out Health Workforce projections for an overview of projections for different groups of workers, such as nurses and physicians, and details on our programs that seek to address future shortages.

Click Here to go to Workforce Projections Dashboard

Click Here to see Health Workforce Projections

State of the Primary Care Workforce, 2024

December 6, 2024

State of the Primary Care Workforce, 2024

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) National Center for Health Workforce Analysis collects data, conducts research, and generates information to inform and support public and private-sector decision making.

This brief examines the supply of physicians, physician assistants (PA), and nurse practitioners (NP) practicing in primary care specialties:

  • Family medicine
  • General pediatric medicine
  • General internal medicine
  • Geriatric medicine

While rural areas generally have lower primary care physician ratios than urban areas, the data show that NPs and Pas are important in providing primary care in rural areas. Approximately half of PAs were interested in practicing in rural locations (44 percent), Medically Underserved Areas (58%), or Health Professional Shortage Areas (54%).

Click Here to Read State of the Primary Care Workforce, 2024

Peer-Reviewed Publication: Utilization, Quality, and Spending for Pediatric Medicaid Enrollees with Primary Care in Health Centers vs non-Health Centers

December 2, 2024

Peer-Reviewed Publication: Utilization, Quality, and Spending for Pediatric Medicaid Enrollees with Primary Care in Health Centers vs non-Health Centers

Using 2012 Medicaid claims data, HRSA-funded researchers compared cost, use, and quality among health center and non-health center pediatric patients. They found that for health center patients, quality of care was comparable, and total expenditures were lower by $240 per patient. This suggests that delivering primary care pediatric services at a health center may be a more cost-effective health care model.

Click Here to Learn More

Peer-Reviewed Publication: Study Finds that Improving Pediatric Emergency Care Could Save More than 2,100 Children’s Lives Annually

December 2, 2024

Peer-Reviewed Publication: Study Finds that Improving Pediatric Emergency Care Could Save More than 2,100 Children’s Lives Annually

During medical emergencies, children have distinct needs. But 83% of emergency departments nationwide are not highly prepared to meet those needs. The new study, in JAMA Network Open, found that bridging that gap, known as having high levels of “Pediatric Readiness” could prevent the deaths of 2,143 children each year while costing between $0 and $12 per child resident, depending on their state.

The study underscores the importance of MCHB’s partnership in two initiatives, known as the Pediatric Readiness Projects. These projects support the nation’s 5,000+ emergency departments and 15,000+ emergency medical services agencies in improving pediatric emergency care. Data from a recent national emergency department assessment were the foundation for this study.

Click Here to Learn More about Pediatric Readiness Projects

Click Here to Read Study

Rural Health Research – Understanding the Impact of Medical Debt in Rural Communities: Perspectives from Rural Hospital Administrators

November 18, 2024

Rural Health Research – Understanding the Impact of Medical Debt in Rural Communities: Perspectives from Rural Hospital Administrators

This policy brief presents findings from key informant interviews with nine administrators representing rural hospitals in seven states (Arkansas, California, Illinois, Texas, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia).

Using content analysis of interview data, researchers share findings around hospital and community-level implications of medical debt, and policies that may help or hinder this issue.

Click Here to Read Policy Brief

Research and Data Update: Access to Health Care in Rural America: Current Trends and Key Challenges

November 14, 2024

Research and Data Update: Access to Health Care in Rural America: Current Trends and Key Challenges

This research report describes patterns in insurance coverage and uninsurance rates in rural and urban areas, review non-financial challenges in accessing care face by many rural residents, and describes disparities in health outcomes between urban and rural areas.

The report goes on to discuss policies, programs and resources designed to address barriers to care in rural America and the important role that federal and state health car coverage programs like Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Marketplace, and Medicare play in providing health insurance coverage for rural residents.

Click Here to Read Full Report

Rural Health Research: Medical Debt in Collections Among Counties by Rural-Urban Location and Racial-ethnic Composition

November 8, 2024

Rural Health Research: Medical Debt in Collections Among Counties by Rural-Urban Location and Racial-ethnic Composition

Medical debt, or medical costs owed for health care services, is a pressing issue across the U.S., with implications for health and well-being for those facing debt burden. While recognition of medical debt as a social problem is growing, details about who is most at risk of holding this debt remain less clear.

This policy brief addresses this gap by examining the differences in the proportion of people with medical debt in collections and median amount of medical debt by rural-urban communities of color.

Key Findings:

  • Rural counties have a higher proportion of people with medical debt in collections than urban counties (15.7% vs 14.8%), and this difference is associated with lower average household incomes in rural counties in general.
  • The county-level median amount of medical debt in collections held by rural residents is $62 higher compared to their urban counterparts, even after accounting for income differences.
  • The proportion of people with and amount of medical debt in collections are both higher in rural and urban communities of color than in rural and urban communities overall.

Click Here to Read Brief

HHS: Current Trends and Key Challenges to Health Care in Rural America

November 8, 2024

HHS: Current Trends and Key Challenges to Health Care in Rural America

A new report evaluates programs at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and finds that uninsured rates among adults under age 65 in rural areas have fallen substantially since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), from 23.8 percent in 2010 to 12.6 percent in 2023.

Uninsured rates among rural residents are much higher is states that have not yet expanded Medicaid and analysts acknowledge ongoing disparities in health outcomes between rural and urban areas.

Research has shown, for instance, disparities in maternal outcomes, behavioral and mental health outcomes, risk factors for chronic disease such as obesity, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease as well as in potentially harmful health behaviors such as smoking and physical inactivity to name a few.

Click Here to read full report

New FMT Policy Brief: CAH Perspectives on Collection and Use of Demographic and Social Drivers of Health Data

October 29, 2024

New FMT Policy Brief: CAH Perspectives on Collection and Use of Demographic and Social Drivers of Health Data

The Flex Monitoring Team (FMT) recently released a new policy brief, CAH Perspectives on Collection and Use of Demographic and Social Drivers of Health Data. The brief explores the experiences of nine Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs), in collecting and using demographic and/or social drivers of health (SDOH) data.

Challenges faced by CAHs during data collection:

  • Interviewee discomfort
  • Difficulty offering patient resources
  • Logistical or technical challenges
  • Limited staff capacity
  • Other broad challenges

Despite these challenges, CAHs described being able to use the demographic and/or SDOH data in various ways:

  • For individual patient needs
  • To assess community characteristics and needs
  • To assess health outcomes and utilization
  • To create or leverage partnerships
  • To plan for expanding data collection

Staff training, involvement with community partnerships, and collaboration with State Flex Programs will facilitate the best and standard practices of demographic and/or SDOH data collection, as well as data usage for CAHs.

Click Here to view policy brief