AHRQ: Meeting of the National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality Federal Register
Jul 16, 2018 - The National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality will hold an open meeting on July 18, 2018. Agenda items include an update on AHRQ's current research, programs, and initiatives, as well as updates on AHRQ data, analytics, and insights; making health services research relevant to the C-Suite; and AHRQ's opioids efforts.
Source: Federal Register
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Penn State Researchers Seek to ID Gaps in Broadband Access
Jul 6, 2018 - Details a new state-funded study by Penn State researchers on rural broadband access in Pennsylvania. Federal estimates of access to internet of specific speeds are based on what is reported by the companies providing the services, but anecdotal evidence on the ground suggests those estimates may not be accurate. This study seeks to provide a more accurate data set to inform policy decisions.
Source: New Castle News
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NIH-Funded Scientists Put Socioeconomic Data on the Map
Jun 29, 2018 - A new tool developed by scientists funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides local level socioeconomic data on a map. The Neighborhood Atlas uses the 17 measures of education, housing quality, and poverty, updated with current American Community Survey data. It is built so that it can be merged with other data sources to foster better understanding of how neighborhood disadvantage impacts health.
Source: National Institutes of Health
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Opioid Epidemic May Be Worse Than It Appears, Pitt Study Finds Fatalities Vastly Underreported
Jun 27, 2018 - A new study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health found that opioid-related overdose deaths are being underreported and that potentially 70,000 opioid-related overdose deaths were not included in national estimates between 1999 and 2015. This can be worse in rural areas where county coroners may not be as well funded.
Source: WESA 90.5
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CMS Launches Data Element Library Supporting Interoperability
Jun 21, 2018 - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new database that supports the exchange of electronic health information. Using the Data Element Library, the public can view the specific types of data that CMS requires post-acute facilities to collect as part of the health assessment of their patients. It also includes health information technology standards that support the collection of health information, with the ultimate goal of making it easier to share electronic health information between providers.
Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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HHS: National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics: Meeting Federal Register
Jun 20, 2018 - Announces a public meeting of the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS), Standards Subcommittee on July 17-18, 2018. The agenda is posted on the NCVHS website and includes a discussion of the draft Environmental Scan Report which assesses the strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in the health terminology and vocabulary environment; a discussion of governance, coordination, and communications across terminology and vocabulary developers; and the identification of gaps in U.S. health terminology and vocabulary coverage; among other things.
Source: Federal Register
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VA Releases National Suicide Data Report
Jun 18, 2018 - The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) released it's most recent analysis of veteran suicide data. The report, the VA National Suicide Data Report 2005-2015, found that suicide rates are increasing for veterans, but that this rate is increasing faster among veterans who have not recently accessed healthcare through the Veterans Health Administration.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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SAMHSA: Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request Federal Register
Jun 15, 2018 - The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has developed a Survey of State Underage Drinking Prevention Policies and Practices to provide input for the state-by-state report on prevention and enforcement activities related to underage drinking component of the Annual Report to Congress on the Prevention and Reduction of Underage Drinking. This survey will be sent to each state and to Washington, DC. Comments will be accepted through July 16, 2018.
Source: Federal Register
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CDC: More Obesity in U.S. Rural Counties than in Urban Counties
Jun 14, 2018 - Press release from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on their Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), which found that obesity prevalence was significantly higher among adults living in rural counties than among those living in metropolitan counties. Includes some discussion of the health risks of obesity, steps rural communities can employ to address this disparity, and the CDC's High Obesity Program (HOP).
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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USDA Launches Interactive Map of Opioid Epidemic Resources
Jun 14, 2018 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released a new interactive map on their rural opioid misuse webpage. This map allows site users to learn about, access, or replicate actions rural leaders are taking in small towns across the country to address the opioid epidemic. The USDA is also inviting users to share effective actions taken in response to the opioid epidemic in rural communities with their "What's working in your town?" form.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
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