Meta Rural Score: Defining Rurality with Precision

University of Pittsburgh researchers have developed the Meta Rural Score, a tool designed to accurately designate addresses as rural for various purposes, including research and commercial applications. This innovative method integrates multiple federal definitions of rural into a single meta score, providing a continuum from metropolitan to highly rural. The Meta Rural Score allows for precise geographic designation, enhancing the ability to demonstrate rural status for research projects and other applications.

Description

The Meta Rural Score calculator integrates various federal definitions of rural, including CMS designation for Rural Health Clinics (RHC), FAR designation, UIC codes, and RUCA codes. This method provides a percentage of rurality for any given address, allowing users to designate geographic locations on a continuum of rurality. The score compensates for the limitations of metropolitan statistical areas, offering a more nuanced view of rural status adjacent to metropolitan areas versus non-adjacent rural areas. A tableau program was developed to input any address across the US, geocode it, and generate a total Meta score along with an associated map.

Applications

• Rural research projects
• Commercial applications requiring rural designation
• Healthcare services and planning
• Policy development and implementation

Advantages

This technology offers a comprehensive approach to defining rurality by integrating multiple federal definitions into a single meta score. It eliminates the need to choose a unique method, which may over or underbound rural areas. The Meta Rural Score provides a justified and precise designation of rural status, enhancing the accuracy and reliability of geographic classifications for various purposes.

Invention Readiness

The Meta Rural Score is currently at the prototype stage, with successful validation through analysis of over 150 clinics in Pennsylvania. The tool has been demonstrated to be more specific than existing methods, such as RUCC codes. Further development includes expanding the database and refining the tableau program for broader applications.