Rural spillover and urban hospital overwhelm: lessons from COVID-19
Abstract
In this study, we examine how rural versus urban geographic delineation can lead to spillover in the context of COVID-19 hospitalizations using panel data collected from a number of sources over a period of 22 months for all 115 counties within the state of Missouri in the United States (U.S.). Results of our spatial interaction analyses show that there is significant evidence of spillover effect in COVID-19 hospitalizations, whereby COVID-19 hospitalizations in one county influence COVID-19 hospitalizations in its neighboring counties in Missouri. This effect can be effectively predicted by rural versus urban geographical delineation, and the effect does not remain static over time. Our study has numerous implications for counties, state governments, and healthcare institutions planning to manage their reactivity to the next pandemic or to simply better understand the way demand for healthcare crosses regional boundaries.
Department(s)
Information Technology and Cybersecurity
Document Type
Article
DOI
10.1007/s00168-025-01428-9
Publication Date
12-1-2025
Recommended Citation
Mainali, Raju; Thambusamy, Ravi; Stalnaker, Jo Lynne; and Church, E. Mitchell, "Rural spillover and urban hospital overwhelm: lessons from COVID-19" (2025). Faculty Scholarship. 89.
https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/articles00/89
Journal Title
Annals of Regional Science
