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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Spatial Accessibility and Uptake of Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccinations by Social Vulnerability
Examines pediatric uptake of COVID-19 vaccines by vaccination site, travel time to nearest site, and county-level social vulnerability. Utilizes 2022 U.S. Vaccine Tracking System data to analyze 15,233,956 vaccine doses administered across 27,526 sites, with breakdowns according to sociodemographics, including rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Rohan Khazanchi, Benjamin Rader, Jonathan Cantor, et al.
Citation: Pediatrics
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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Patterns of Digital Health Access and Use among US Adults: A Latent Class Analysis
Evaluates patterns of access and use of digital technology for health purposes via a latent class analysis of 2017-2020 Health Information National Trends Survey data. See Table 3 for data on people dwelling in metropolitan, non-metropolitan urban, and rural areas.
Author(s): Phillip C. Hegeman, Daniel T. Vader, Kristyn Kamke, Sherine El-Toukhy
Citation: BMC Digital Health, 2, 42
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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Transformation of the Clinical Trial Enterprise: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic
Summarizes findings from a literature review and expert interviews regarding the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical trials. Explores ways that clinical trials that continued during the pandemic mitigated disruptions and lessons learned. Includes discussions regarding how decentralized clinical trials and digital health technologies reduce barriers for rural and underserved populations to enroll and participate in clinical trials.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Co-Bio Consulting, HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Rural Community Health Worker Programs: Proving Value and Finding Sustainability
Features four rural healthcare organizations describing the impact of their community health worker (CHW) programs and strategies for sustaining them. Discusses CHW roles, activities, reimbursement options, and more.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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The Prevalence of Mental Health Conditions Was on the Rise Before the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Pandemic Had a Negative Effect on Mental Health
Data spotlight on mental illness, depression, and suicide among adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzes disparities and discusses barriers to care related to a variety of sociodemographic factors including geography. See Figures 3, 7, and 8 for data on health professional shortage areas (HPSAs), mental health-related emergency department visits, and suicide deaths by level of rurality.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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The Availability of Midwifery Care in Rural United States Communities
Describes the availability of midwifery care at rural hospitals in 2021. Presents results of a survey of 292 rural hospitals with current or recently closed childbirth services. Details whether rural hospitals with current or prior childbirth services had midwifery care with certified nurse-midwives available locally. Compares rural communities with and without midwifery care by hospital-level and county-level characteristics.
Author(s): Emily C. Sheffield, Alyssa H. Fritz, Julia D. Interrante, Katy B. Kozhimannil
Citation: Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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Rural Veteran Perception of Healthcare Access in South Carolina and Florida: A Qualitative Study
Presents a study on the perceptions of healthcare access for rural veterans and their families in South Carolina and Florida. Bases findings on interviews with veterans and their spouses on barriers to accessing physical and mental healthcare in their rural communities.
Author(s): Maria Mercedes Rossi, Heidi L. Radunovich, Michelle A. Parisi
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 24, 826
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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Interactive Maps to Improve Stroke Systems of Care in Wisconsin
Analyzes transfer patterns of stroke patients, including driving time and distance, from small rural hospitals to large tertiary hospitals in Wisconsin. Describes the development of interactive stroke transfer maps and discusses the use of mapping to identify gaps in systems of care, improve the efficiency of emergency services, and better understand hospital capacity.
Author(s): Ka Z. Xiong, Lena Swander, Dot Bluma, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 21, 230166
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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Patient Perspectives on Cancer Care during COVID-19: A Qualitative Study
Analyzes the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on cancer patients' care experiences and mental health. Utilizes interview data from 15 rural Maryland patients who received a cancer diagnosis or treatment between January 2020 and October 2022. Discusses access to care, consistency of care, telehealth use, social isolation, patient advocacy, COVID-19 precautions, and more.
Author(s): Krista Y. Chen, Olivia Stanford, Jennifer A. Wenzel, Robert L. Joyner, Adrian S. Dobs
Citation: PLoS ONE, 19(7), e0306035
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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How a Rural Health System Continues to Provide Essential Obstetric Services
Podcast episode describing how Kittitas Valley Healthcare in rural Washington State worked to continue to provide obstetric services at its Critical Access Hospital (CAH) amid the departure of its full-time obstetric providers. Discusses the involvement of the governing board and recruitment and retention efforts.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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