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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Home Health Utilization in the Veterans Health Administration: Are there Rural and Urban Differences?
Examines home health usage and access among veterans in rural and urban areas. Utilizes 2019-2021 Veterans Health Administration (VA) data to analyze rural versus urban home health use, with data broken down by patient sociodemographic variables as well as number of visits.
Author(s): Heather Davila, Bradely Mayfield, Michelle A. Mengeling, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12865
Date: 2025
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Barriers to Participation in Clinical Trials of Rural Older Adult Cancer Survivors: A Qualitative Study
Explores barriers to clinical trial participation for older cancer survivors living in rural areas. Utilizes semi-structured interviews to discuss challenges such as lack of transportation, limited communication with providers, age, and more.
Author(s): Evelyn Arana-Chicas, Laura M. Hincapie Prisco, Saloni Sharma, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12852
Date: 2025
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Where the Road Ends: Emergency Care Sensitive Conditions Drive Excess Mortality in Medevac-Dependent Rural Alaska
Research letter detailing how poor access to emergency care and sociodemographic conditions contribute to disparities in mortality outcomes in rural Alaska, utilizing CDC WONDER 1999-2020 mortality data. Compares age-adjusted mortality rates for injuries, emergency care-sensitive conditions, and non-emergency care sensitive conditions in off road and on road communities.
Author(s): Brian Rice, Carla Britton, Stacy Rasmus, Tina Hernandez-Boussard
Citation: Emergency Medicine Journal, 2024, 214444
Date: 12/2024
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South Dakota Department of Health 2024 Annual Report
Describes activities and accomplishments of the South Dakota Department of Health in 2024. Includes sections on public health preparedness and response, rural health, emergency medical services, health information technology, family and community health, and licensure and accreditation.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: South Dakota Department of Health
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Healthcare Stakeholder Perceptions of Broadband and Telehealth Influences in Telehealth Broadband Pilot Program Communities
Summarizes findings from interviews with healthcare stakeholders in Alaska, Michigan, Texas, and West Virginia communities served by the Telehealth Broadband Pilot (TBP) Program. Describes influences on clinic, providers and healthcare staff, and TBP Program community and patient broadband and telehealth utilization.
Author(s): Cari A. Bogulski, M. Kathryn Allison, Hannah C. McCoy, Rosario Silva, Hari Eswaran
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Rural Telehealth Evaluation Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Regional Campuses
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An Evaluation of the Telehealth Broadband Pilot Program (2021–2024)
Provides an overview of the Telehealth Broadband Pilot (TBP) Program, which aimed to address gaps in broadband service that limited access to telehealth services in rural and underserved communities in Alaska, Michigan, Texas, and West Virginia. Details the development and implementation of devices that measured broadband data in the communities over time and the results of those devices. Summarizes discussions with TBP Program staff regarding the implementation and effectiveness of the program, as well as interviews with healthcare stakeholders, consumers, and technical assistance providers in TBP Program communities. Offers factors for consideration in the development of future programs to measure broadband implementation in rural communities and improve user experience. Includes summary reports by state.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Rural Telehealth Evaluation Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Regional Campuses
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Consumer Perceptions of Broadband and Telehealth Across Telehealth Broadband Pilot Program Counties
Presents findings from interviews with consumers in Alaska, Michigan, Texas, and West Virginia communities served by the Telehealth Broadband Pilot Program. Describes facilitators and barriers to home broadband and telehealth adoption identified in the interviews.
Author(s): Cari A. Bogulski, Rosario Silva, Hannah C. McCoy, M. Kathryn Allison, Hari Eswaran
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organizations: Rural Telehealth Evaluation Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Regional Campuses
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2024 Communications Marketplace Report
Examines the state of competition across the broader communications marketplace, as well as laws, regulations, regulatory practices, or marketplace practices that pose a barrier to competitive entry and expansion of the marketplace. Includes data on tribal and rural areas throughout, including trends in broadband adoption and the percentage of households with multiple provider options between 2020-2023.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
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Arizona State Health Assessment, 2024
Reports on the health of people in Arizona, including population subgroups, social determinants of health, and priority health issues. Discusses health and access disparities in rural, tribal, and border areas. Includes county-level data.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Arizona Department of Health Services
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What We Heard: Initial Feedback on The Strategic Framework for a National Plan on Aging
Summarizes feedback offered to the Administration for Community Living (ACL) on Aging in the United States: A Strategic Framework for a National Plan on Aging, a plan for creating a national set of recommendations for healthy aging and age-friendly communities. Notes rural concerns related to transportation, internet access, safety, and healthcare access.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Administration for Community Living
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