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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by State: Pennsylvania

Telelactation via Mobile App: Perspectives of Rural Mothers, Their Care Providers, and Lactation Consultants
Analyzes the efficacy of direct-to-consumer (DTC) telelactation services in rural Pennsylvania in areas that lack in-person availability of international board-certified lactation consultants (IBCLCs). Discusses potential challenges such as lack of personal relationships, preference for local resources, and limited WiFi in rural areas. Reflects on potential benefits including access to support and increased maternal breastfeeding confidence.
Author(s): Jill Demirci, Virginia Kotzias, Debra L. Bogen, Kristin N. Ray, Lori Uscher-Pines
Citation: Telemedicine Journal and E-Health, 25(9), 853-858
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
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The Use of and Experiences With Telelactation Among Rural Breastfeeding Mothers: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Study exploring a telehealth video-based lactation service offered to rural Pennsylvania mothers through a Critical Access Hospital. Discusses data on study participation, number of telelactation video calls per participant, nature of the participants' concerns or questions, breastfeeding experience, and infant age. Describes challenges of providing lactation support in rural areas and presents telelactation services as a potential solution.
Author(s): Kandice Kapinos, Virginia Kotzias, Debra Bogen, et al.
Citation: Journal of Medical Internet Research, 21(9), e13967
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
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Looking Through a Different Lens: Patient Satisfaction With Telemedicine in Delivering Pediatric Fracture Care
Looks at patient satisfaction with telemedicine for pediatric fracture care based on a study conducted in rural central Pennsylvania. Compares satisfaction levels for real-time video consultation with a pediatric orthopedic surgeon facilitated by a physician's assistant to conventional outpatient clinic visits.
Author(s): Neha Sinha, Max Cornell, Benjamin Wheatley, et al.
Citation: JAAOS Global Research & Reviews, 3(9), e100
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
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Use of Apprenticeship to Meet Demand for Medical Assistants in the U.S.
Reports findings from a study of registered medical assistant (MA) apprenticeship programs in 12 states. Discusses the workforce needs these programs may help address, including workforce needs in rural communities. Describes the programs and discusses challenges with starting and maintaining MA apprenticeship programs.
Additional links: Policy Brief
Author(s): Andrew D. Jopson, Susan M. Skillman, Bianca K. Frogner
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Serving Rural America: Health Insurance Providers at Work
Offers 5 case studies to showcase the ways in which health insurance providers are working to ensure access to high quality healthcare in rural areas. Examples feature 8 insurance providers in Maryland, Pennsylvania, California, and Oregon sharing different approaches to healthcare delivery, financing, and community engagement.
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: AHIP
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Medicaid: Efforts to Identify, Predict, or Manage High-Expenditure Beneficiaries
Describes strategies used in 7 states to manage beneficiaries' healthcare costs while ensuring quality care, and lists resources the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services provides to help states identify, predict, and manage high-expenditure beneficiaries. Discusses effects of social determinants of health and staff shortages in rural areas. Includes statistics for Medicaid expenditures among beneficiaries enrolled only in Medicaid, for fiscal years 2009-2011.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Report of Recommendations: Appalachian Regional Commission's Substance Abuse Advisory Council
Report outlines the recommendations of the ARC's Substance Abuse Advisory Council on designing and implementing a substance abuse recovery system in rural Appalachia. Details the need for workforce training and employment via support services post-treatment.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Appalachian Regional Commission
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Rural Access to MAT in Pennsylvania (RAMP): A Hybrid Implementation Study Protocol for Medication Assisted Treatment Adoption among Rural Primary Care Providers
Presents a study on the implementation of an intervention designed to expand access to medication-assisted treatment for people with opioid use disorder in rural Pennsylvania. Highlights the collaborators and roles within the intervention, breaking down the delivery and support infrastructure.
Author(s): Gerald Cochran, Evan S. Cole, Jack Warwick, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 14, 25
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
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Health Needs Assessment of Five Pennsylvania Plain Populations
Offers the results of a health needs assessment for 5 Anabaptist Pennsylvania Plain communities compared with the general state population. Discusses prevalence of genetic diseases and mental health conditions, screenings and vaccinations, and general health outcomes. Provides data on demographics, nutrition, environmental health, and health conditions taken from household surveys conducted in 2014 and 2015 which were designed to represent Plain community views of modern medicine.
Author(s): Kirk Miller, Berwood Yost, Christina Abbott, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(13), 2378
Date: 07/2019
Type: Document
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Psychosocial Supports in Medication-Assisted Treatment: Site Visit Findings and Conclusions
Profiles 5 programs that offer medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD), including several with rural components. Covers psychosocial support offered, staffing and staff training, collaboration and coordination, financing, data collection and quality improvement, lessons learned, and next steps for each program. Discusses the aspects of psychosocial support that are most important for positive outcomes, types of psychosocial support being used, and factors helping or impeding psychosocial support implementation, including stigma and workforce challenges. Appendix B reviews the literature on psychosocial support in MAT.
Additional links: Appendix B: Psychosocial Supports in Medication-Assisted Treatment: Recent Evidence and Current Practice
Author(s): Garrett Moran, Hannah Knudsen, Caroline Snyder
Date: 07/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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