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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Spatial Access to Vaccines for Children Providers in South Carolina: Implications for HPV Vaccination
Explores access to Vaccines for Children (VFC) enrolled clinics in South Carolina to understand rural/urban disparities in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination initiation and improve rural HPV vaccination rates. Features information on VFC providers by rural and urban Zip Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs), spatial accessibility for VFC by rural and urban ZCTAs, and more.
Author(s): Radhika Ranganathan, Whitney Zahnd, Sayward Harrison, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 17
Date: 12/2020
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Lakewood Engage Tackles Food Insecurity in Rural Minnesota
Features a community-based program in rural Minnesota that addresses food insecurity through multiple initiatives, including distribution of fresh produce through a food "prescription" program, home delivery of meals to post-acute care patients and those in COVID-19 quarantine, and a farmers market.
Author(s): Kathryn Rutz
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Ensuring an Equitable Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccines in Rural Communities
Policy brief addressing rural access to COVID-19 vaccines. Discusses the vaccine infrastructure, distribution, transportation, and storage needed to reach rural residents. Provides guidance for national, state, and local leaders.
Author(s): John Gale, Alana Knudson, Michael Meit, Shena Popat
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Telemedicine Utilization Report: Telehealth and Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines the use of telemedicine to deliver Medicaid-covered services in the state of Minnesota. Describes state and federal telehealth policy waivers and modifications that were temporarily implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses telehealth use by and special considerations for rural populations.
Author(s): Neerja Singh, Julie Marquardt
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Human Services
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NRHA Rapid Response Policy Brief: Telehealth
Policy position brief outlining the National Rural Health Association's policy statements and recommendations to encourage the adoption of telehealth services in rural America. Discusses reimbursement, healthcare quality, broadband access, and other telehealth policy topics.
Author(s): Pat Schou, Sarah Huling, Brady Beecham, Leslie Marsh, Rachael Sherard
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Telehealth Practice Among Health Centers During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, July 11–17, 2020
Reports health center telehealth services based on a July 11–17, 2020 survey of Health Resources and Services Administration–funded health centers. Includes data for urban and rural locations. Discusses barriers that rural health centers face in expanding telehealth, including broadband access, lack of partners, and logistics.
Author(s): Hanna B. Demeke, Leah Zilversmit Pao, Hollie Clark, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(50), 1902-1905
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Examining Rural Hospital Bypass for Inpatient Services
Explores the drivers of rural hospital bypass for inpatient services. Examines demographic characteristics, why patients bypassed their nearest rural hospital, how the local supply of healthcare services affects rural hospital bypass, and if health insurance networks or cost affect the decision to bypass rural hospitals.
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Modernizing Demand-Responsive Transportation for the Age of New Mobility
Provides an overview of demand-responsive transportation (DRT) and its role in supporting people with disabilities, older adults, people with lower incomes, and rural residents. Explores how a new data specification, the transactional data specification (TDS), can be used to modernize DRT services. Presents case studies of systems adopting TDS, including ITNAmerica, a national transportation network serving older adults in rural communities, and a pilot program in rural Oregon. Offers recommendations to policymakers and stakeholders to promote wide-scale adoption of TDS by DRT providers.
Author(s): Jana Lynott
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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How Might Internet Connectivity Affect Health Care Access?
Describes how a lack of internet access may negatively impact access to healthcare. Features data and statistics on internet access, with information broken down by race/ethnicity, age, poverty level, insurance status and type, and metropolitan/nonmetropolitan location. Discusses COVID-19 and how social distancing measures have led to increased implementation of telehealth, resulting in additional challenges accessing healthcare among people with little to no internet connectivity.
Author(s): Krutika Amin, Matthew Rae, Giorlando Ramirez, Cynthia Cox
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Substance Use Disorder: Reliable Data Needed for Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Program
Reviews what is known about the number of substance use disorder (SUD) treatment facilities and services, overall treatment capacity, and barriers to expanding capacity. Describes the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant (SABG), State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis (STR) and State Opioid Response (SOR) programs, and examines how seven states utilized these programs. Evaluates the data used to assess the effectiveness of these programs, and offers recommendations to improve the reliability of data collected on individuals served by the SABG program.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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