2. Rhode Island Rural Health Data Book
August 21, 2017
Rural Health Data Summit, Colorado

3. Acknowledgements Jill D’Errico
Senior Public Health Promotion Specialist
Office of Primary Care and Rural Health
Katelyn Edel, MPH
Brown University Student Assistant ( )
Katelyn is now in medical school in the Penn State Rural Physician Program

4. Purpose
To assess and review the health needs, behaviors and health statuses of people living in rural Rhode island
from the perspective of social determinants of health
The data book was intended as a replacement for a previous document that had been produced under contract by a vendor and to correct some of the perceived problems with that work regarding lack of comparability of data across variables.
The construction of the data book also took inspiration from “Rural Data for Action’ published by the New England Rural health RoundTable which is a regional analysis of rural health for New England.

5. What data are included? Healthcare delivery and provider workforce
Healthcare utilization
Health related behaviors and health risks
Health outcomes and status
1. How many FTEs we have in the state for primary care, mental health and dental health
2. Whether or not people have insurance, what is the usage rate of primary care and mental health services
3. Exercise rates and weight status, pregnancy related behaviors, personal safety
4. What is the cancer prevalence rate, top five causes of death, maternal and child health indicators

6. Data Sources
Databases of governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations
Research publications and reports
Online resources
Jill and Katelyn met with nearly every program within the Department of Health in order to determine how they should be included in an assessment of rural health. A good example of how that shaped the report is the map of radon exposure in the state.

7. Definition of Rural in Rhode Island
OPCRH defines any town with a population size of less than 25,000 and a population density of less than 1,000 individuals per square mile as a rural community
18 towns designated as rural
Rhode Island evaluated the rural definitions used by federal agencies as well as those used by other states, especially the neighboring states of Connecticut and Massachusetts to identify the appropriate measure of rurality
Federal definitions consider commuting patterns, proximity to urban centers or population size to determine rural areas
Under FORHP definition, Block Island is the only town in RI considered rural

9. Data Strengths and Challenges
BRFSS data used for nearly all measures for uniformity
Small sample size, risks to validity and reliability
Data accessed from CDC lack city- and town-level data
State level data may not reflect the true picture
Diversity amongst rural towns
each has its own unique challenges and opportunities

10. How Report is Being Used
Used as a baseline report to measure the changes in indicators for rural population over the years
Used for reference
Shared with external stakeholders and internal partners

11. Lila Bhattarai
Public Health Epidemiologist
Office of Primary Care and Rural Health
Rhode Island Department of Health