Omni Know-How
March 25, 2025
Earlier this week, I came across an article about the troubling disparities in cervical cancer outcomes in rural America. It got me thinking: huge regional disparities in a medical condition... that feels like a job for Relevate Health.
So, we quickly put the ELE™ Decision Engine to work. What we found confirmed what the article highlighted – rural counties not only have lower screeningrates but also higher incidence rates of cervical cancer. In fact, the average percentage of women reporting a PAP smear in the last three years is 71.0% in rural counties, compared to 73.4% in urban areas. And when you look at the county-level data, the disparity becomes even clearer.
The average county prevalence of cervical cancer is 11.6 cases per
100,000 women in rural areas, versus 8.1 in urban areas. We also identified the top rural counties of opportunity where intervention
could make a significant impact – both in helping underserved populations and driving meaningful outcomes for healthcare brands.
For example:
- Mayes County, Oklahoma – Age-Adjusted Incidence Rate: 20.8 per
100k, with only 61.2% reporting recent screenings. - Kay County, Oklahoma – Incidence Rate: 23.5 per 100k, with 67.6%
screened. - Polk County, Texas – Incidence Rate: 22.9 per 100k, with 67.5%
screened.
We pinpointed the top hospitals to target based on low screening rates and high incidence, like:
- Nor-Lea Hospital District in New Mexico
- Highlands ARH Regional Medical Center in Kentucky
- Cumberland Medical Center in Tennessee
Here’s what I love about what we do at Relevate Health: that article was
published on March 12th, and within days, we had a data-driven POV ready to help healthcare brands take action.
For any brand looking to make a real impact in cervical cancer care, especially in underserved rural areas, we can help you identify the right
health systems to target – and do so quickly. If you want to learn more, let’s talk.