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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by State: North Carolina

An Assessment of Mobile and Portable Dentistry Programs to Improve Population Oral Health
Describes configurations of portable and mobile dental programs including models and applications, discusses targeted populations, details variations in regulations by state, and examines outcomes of preventive interventions in rural areas. Includes case studies of 7 programs initiated to improve access in rural areas.
Additional links: Policy Brief
Author(s): Margaret Langelier, Jean Moore, Rachel Carter, et al.
Date: 08/2017
Sponsoring organization: Oral Health Workforce Research Center
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Hospital-Community Partnerships to Build a Culture of Health: A Compendium of Case Studies
Presents insights from nine communities across the U.S. that have successful hospital-community partnerships. Each case study provides a description of the community, background information on the partner organizations, and an overview of the impacts and lessons learned. Several case studies include rural communities, rural populations, and/or rural partner organizations.
Date: 08/2017
Sponsoring organization: Health Research & Educational Trust
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Health Disparities in Appalachia
Measures population health in Appalachia and explores disparities within the region and between Appalachia and the country as a whole. Features statistics on mortality, morbidity, behavioral health, child health, community characteristics, lifestyle, healthcare systems, quality of care, and social determinants, with breakdowns between urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Julie L. Marshall, Logan Thomas, Nancy M. Lane, et al.
Date: 08/2017
Sponsoring organizations: Appalachian Regional Commission, PDA, Inc., The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
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Using Practice Facilitation to Increase Rates of Colorectal Cancer Screening in Community Health Centers, North Carolina, 2012–2013: Feasibility, Facilitators, and Barriers
Pilot study exploring practice facilitation in 3 Federally Qualified Health Centers as a way to promote universal colorectal cancer screening. Features statistics on clinic staffing, number of patients and average age, and number and duration of visits, with breakdowns by rural or urban location.
Author(s): Bryan J. Weiner, Catherine L. Rohweder, Jennifer E. Scott, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 14
Date: 08/2017
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Evaluation of Diabetic Retinal Screening and Factors for Ophthalmology Referral in a Telemedicine Network
Examines telemedicine retinal screening for diabetic retinopathy (DR) among type 1 or type 2 diabetics in rural and underserved communities in North Carolina. Discusses geographic and socioeconomic challenges that lead to disparities in screening and treatment for DR, exploring telehealth's potential to expand access. Analyzes data on patient characteristics, diagnoses, and referrals.
Author(s): Pooja Jani, Lauren Forbes, Arkopal Choudhury, et al.
Citation: JAMA Ophthalmology, 135(7), 706-714
Date: 07/2017
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A Guide to Establishing Syringe Services Programs in Rural, At-Risk Areas
Describes the basics of syringe services programs, identifies the need for them in at-risk rural communities, and provides guidance on considerations when establishing programs. Includes examples of syringe services programs in Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana, and North Carolina. Also covers information about syringe services-related regulations and laws in select locations.
Author(s): Regina La Belle
Date: 07/2017
Sponsoring organization: Comer Family Foundation
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Pesticide Use and Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the Agricultural Health Study
Highlights a study on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and pesticide use among agricultural pesticide applicators. Analyzes self-reported data from a cohort of workers and their spouses in Iowa and North Carolina in 1993-1997.
Author(s): Martha P. Montgomery, Eric Postel, David M. Umbach, et al.
Citation: Environmental Health Perspectives, 125(7)
Date: 07/2017
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Track: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Digital Health Obesity Treatment Intervention for Medically Vulnerable Primary Care Patients
Examines the effectiveness of Track, a digital health intervention, to provide obesity treatment to low-income, racial/ethnic minority adults with obesity and related comorbidities in rural North Carolina. Includes baseline characteristic data, such as gender, race/ethnicity, education, smoking status, and diagnosis.
Author(s): Perry Foley, Dori Steinberg, Erica Levine, et al.
Citation: Contemporary Clinical Trials, 48, 12-20
Date: 05/2017
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Identifying Adverse Drug Events in Rural Hospitals: An Eight-State Study
Analyzes adverse drug events (ADEs), or events involving patient injury resulting from medication use, and identifies ways to improve medication safety in rural hospitals. Uses 2013 data from 8 states with significant rural populations, and examines ADE rates based on hospital characteristics and across 4 main categories: steroids, antibiotics, opiates/narcotics, and anticoagulants. Companion brief lists resources that can be used to reduce and prevent ADEs in rural hospitals, including rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Additional links: Resources to Reduce Adverse Drug Events in Rural Hospitals
Author(s): Michelle Casey, Peiyin Hung, Emma Distel, Shailendra Prasad
Date: 05/2017
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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A Multicomponent Quality Improvement Intervention to Improve Blood Pressure and Reduce Racial Disparities in Rural Primary Care Practices
Assesses the effectiveness of a multicomponent practice-based quality improvement (QI) intervention to lower blood pressure of patients with uncontrolled hypertension and to determine if there would be a variation of effectiveness by race. Participants in the project included 525 adults with hypertension, providers and staff of which nearly 70% were African American. The study took place at primary care practices located in Lenoir County, an economically distressed county in Eastern North Carolina.
Author(s): Crystal W. Cené, Jacqueline R. Halladay, Ziya Gizlice, et al.
Citation: Journal of Clinical Hypertension, 19(4), 351-360
Date: 04/2017
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