A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Rural Health Concerns
People in rural areas face some different health issues than people who live in towns and cities. Getting health care can be a problem when you live in a remote area. You might not be able to get to a hospital quickly in an emergency. You also might not want to travel long distances to get routine checkups and screenings. Rural areas often have fewer doctors and dentists, and certain specialists might not be available at all.
Because it can be hard to get care, health problems in rural residents may be more serious by the time they are diagnosed. People in rural areas of the United States have higher rates of chronic disease than people in urban areas. They also have higher rates of certain types of cancer, from exposure to chemicals used in farming.
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Start Here
- What's Different about Rural Health Care?(National Rural Health Association)
- No links available
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Overviews
- What Is Rural?(Rural Information Center)
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Latest News
- Rural Colon Cancer Patients Fare Worse(10/03/2012, HealthDay)
- Obesity Hits Rural Areas Harder Than Cities(09/14/2012, HealthDay)
- Telemedicine Dermatology Consultations Change Diagnoses and Improve Outcomes(09/01/2012, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
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Prevention/Screening
- Wellness and Prevention Frequently Asked Questions(Rural Assistance Center)
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Related Issues
- Agricultural Health and Safety Frequently Asked Questions(Rural Assistance Center)
- Critical Access Hospitals (CAH) Frequently Asked Questions(Rural Assistance Center)
- Dental Health Frequently Asked Questions(Rural Assistance Center)
- Domestic Violence Frequently Asked Questions(Rural Assistance Center)
- Emergency Medical Services Frequently Asked Questions(Rural Assistance Center)
- Informal Caregiving Frequently Asked Questions(Rural Assistance Center)
- Mental Health Frequently Asked Questions(Rural Assistance Center)
- Methamphetamine Frequently Asked Questions(Rural Assistance Center)
- People with Disabilities Frequently Asked Questions(Rural Assistance Center)
- Rural Health Clinics Frequently Asked Questions(Rural Assistance Center)
- Substance Abuse Frequently Asked Questions(Rural Assistance Center)
- Telehealth: When Health Care Meets Cyberspace(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Trauma Frequently Asked Questions(Rural Assistance Center)
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Financial Issues
- Medicaid Frequently Asked Questions(Rural Assistance Center)
- Medicare Frequently Asked Questions(Rural Assistance Center)
- Uninsured and Underinsured Frequently Asked Questions(Rural Assistance Center)
- Welfare and Income Support Frequently Asked Questions(Rural Assistance Center)
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Research
- Rural and Urban Residents Have Similar Perceptions of Health Care Quality, Despite Differences in Care Delivery(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
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Teledentistry Shows Potential to Assist Rural Communities(National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research)
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Organizations
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Statistics
- Medicare Pays Almost Half of Rural Hospital Stays(Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality)
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Women
- Women's Health Frequently Asked Questions(Rural Assistance Center)
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Seniors
- Aging Frequently Asked Questions(Rural Assistance Center)
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