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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Geographic Disparities Associated with Travel to Medical Care and Attendance in Programs to Prevent/Manage Chronic Illness Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Texas
Examines 2,108 rural and urban middle-aged and older adults in Texas with one or more chronic conditions who travel long distances to receive medical care and their utilization of programs focused on prevention and chronic disease management. Participants from 9 counties responded to health assessment surveys regarding their number of doctor's visits within the previous year, distance to receive medical care, residential status, and other personal characteristics.
Author(s): Matthew L. Smith, Samuel D. Towne Jr., Caroline D Bergeron, et al.
Citation: Rural and Remote Health,19(4), 5147
Date: 11/2019
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Oversight Hearing on "Recognizing the Sacrifice: Honoring a Nation's Promise to Native Veterans" & Legislative Hearing to Receive Testimony on S. 1001 & S. 2365
Presents the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs oversight hearing on the Tribal Veterans Health Care Enhancement Act and the Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act. Features testimony from representatives from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, and the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes.
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
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Telemedicine in Sexual and Reproductive Health
Overview of telemedicine use in sexual and reproductive healthcare by patients, and by providers in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas. Reviews the potential of telemedicine to increase access particularly in rural areas, identifies the range of reproductive health services facilitated by telemedicine, and covers Medicaid reimbursement, insurance coverage, and investment costs.
Author(s): Gabriela Weigel, Brittni Frederiksen, Usha Ranji, Alina Salganicoff
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Reviewing the Broken Promises Report: Examining the Chronic Federal Funding Shortfalls in Indian Country
Video recording and testimony from a November 19, 2019 House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States hearing focused on the U.S. Commission on Human Rights report Broken Promises: Continuing Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans, which evaluated federal spending on Native American programs.
Additional links: GAO Testimony
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States
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Intergovernmental Advisory Committee to the Federal Communications Commission Advisory Recommendation No: 2019-2 in the Matter of State, Local Tribal, and Territorial Regulatory and Other Barriers and Incentives to Telemedicine
Examines the technical infrastructure necessary for effective telemedicine delivery in state, territorial, tribal, and local (rural and urban) areas. Discusses the regulatory barriers including legislation, licensing, reimbursement, malpractice insurance, and privacy that obstruct its development and utilization, and offers recommendations addressing these barriers. Appendix A presents case studies of broadband and telehealth development in several states and territories.
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organizations: Federal Communications Commission, Intergovernmental Advisory Committee to the Federal Communications Commission
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Beyond the Numbers: Access to Reproductive Health Care for Low-Income Women in Five Communities
Highlights the key findings, major themes, and the extent of the challenges faced by low-income women in accessing reproductive and sexual healthcare in urban and rural areas. Identifies promising practices developed by providers to address barriers to care and improve access to healthcare.
Author(s): Usha Ranji, Michelle Long, Alina Salganicoff, et al.
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organizations: Health Management Associates, KFF
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More Than a Smile: An Examination of Rural Dental Health Care in Nebraska
Explores the link between oral and total health, and identifies primary barriers to dental healthcare in rural Nebraska and efforts to increase access. Includes county-level maps of Nebraska and the United States, showing Dental Health Professional Shortages Areas as of 2019.
Author(s): Lauren Taylor, Jordan Rasmussen
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Affairs
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Advancing Health Equity Through Community Health Workers and Peer Providers: Mounting Evidence and Policy Recommendations
Reviews the results from 9 studies funded by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute supporting the inclusion of community health workers (CHWs) and peer providers (PPs) as effective participants in addressing health and healthcare inequities, particularly for diverse communities. Each study presented focuses on a distinct function of utilizing CHWs and/or PPS such as mentoring, managing chronic conditions, and navigator support for serious mental illness and depression. Discusses why payers and providers should include CHWs and PPS in a variety of capacities to improve outcomes, add value to care, and control costs.
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: Families USA
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Growth and Distribution of Child Psychiatrists in the United States: 2007-2016
Results of a study exploring trends in the growth and distribution of child psychiatrists in the United States from 2007-2016, noting differences in access in urban and rural areas. Includes statistics on the numbers of children and child psychiatrists in each state, and a county-level map showing the percent of change during the decade studied.
Author(s): Ryan K. McBain, Aaron Kofner, Bradley D. Stein, et al.
Citation: Pediatrics, 144(6), e20191576
Date: 11/2019
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Urban and Rural Hospitalizations in Mississippi: Overview and Trend Analyses, 2014-2018
Results of a rural health surveillance system established by the Mississippi State Department of Health to monitor and report on the health status of rural residents and the capacity of the local healthcare systems serving this population. Features county-level maps and statistics from 2014-2018 on inpatient care, numbers of hospitals, hospital beds, percent of hospitalizations, and payment models, with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural areas.
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: Mississippi State Department of Health
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