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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

The Relationship Between Rural Setting and Health: Factors that Influence Individuals With or at Risk of CVD - A Summary of the Literature
Describes current literature on rural challenges and opportunities, including cardiovascular risk due to obesity, lack of access to healthcare, workforce shortages, importance of paramedics and community health workers, telehealth and broadband, and impact of the substance use disorder epidemic. Intended to help stakeholders understand the causes of health disparities and to support action to improve the health of rural communities.
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Heart Association
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Health Status and Access to Care among Maine's Low-Income Childless Adults: Implications for State Medicaid Expansion
Examines access to care for low-income adults without children in Maine, along with their health status and demographics. Includes breakdowns by rural residence and a discussion of challenges for rural areas. Offers recommendations to policymakers and others working to implement Maine's Medicaid expansion.
Author(s): Zach Croll, Erika C. Ziller
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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2018 National Survey of Health Attitudes: Description and Top-Line Summary Data
Results of a survey designed to provide insight into how people in the U.S. think about, value, and prioritize health and issues of health equity. Appendix A shows survey results comparing populations by city size, with breakdowns by rural areas, small towns, midsized cities, and large cities, and Appendix B features statistics comparing urban and rural areas.
Additional links: Appendix A: Survey Results Comparing Populations by City Size, Appendix B: Survey Results Comparing Urban and Rural Populations
Author(s): Katherine Grace Carman, Anita Chandra, Sarah Weilant, Carolyn Miller, Margaret Tait
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: RAND Corporation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Experiences of Medicaid Programs and Health Centers in Implementing Telehealth
Examines the experiences of 19 rural and urban Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and 7 state Medicaid programs with supporting and delivering telehealth. Addresses state Medicaid policies, telehealth models and types, barriers and facilitators for telehealth, and future plans. Identifies considerations for payers, policymakers, and FQHCs interested in telehealth implementation.
Author(s): Lori Uscher-Pines, Kathryn Bouskill, Jessica Sousa, Mimi Shen, Shira H. Fischer
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, RAND Corporation
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Achieving Behavioral Health Equity for Children, Families, and Communities: Proceedings of a Workshop
Summarizes findings from a November 2017 workshop focused on exploring health equity in children and families. Chapter 4 includes discussion on healthcare quality and access for behavioral health services in rural communities. Offers suggestions for initiatives, policies, and programs to support behavioral health promotion, access behavioral health services, and improve the social determinants of health.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Sarah Tracey, Erin Kellogg, Clarissa Sanchez, Wendy Keenan
Date: 2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Examining the Availability of SAFE Kits at Hospitals in the United States
Congressional hearing analyzing the availability of sexual assault forensic examiners. Discusses the impact of training, service volume, and workforce retention on access. Notes rural-specific rates of sexual assault and challenges with access to care. Includes testimony from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, International Association of Forensic Nurses, and Futures Without Violence.
Additional links: A. Nicole Clowers Testimony, Kiersten Stewart Testimony, Sara Jennings Testimony
Date: 12/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
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Creating a Blueprint for Our Future: Louisiana State Health Assessment and Improvement Plan, March 2016-March 2020
Offers an overview of the health of the Louisiana population and identifies goals for improvement at both the state and regional levels. Discusses rural-specific considerations throughout. Includes maps indicating rural areas and Health Professional Shortage Areas.
Date: 12/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Louisiana Department of Health
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Patterns of Buprenorphine Use and Risk for Re-Arrest among Highly Vulnerable Opioid-Involved Women Released from Jails in Rural Appalachia
Study examining licit and illicit use of buprenorphine by women in the Appalachia region of Kentucky with moderate to severe opioid involvement who had recently been released from jail. Discusses the role of consistent healthcare services in relation to risk for re-arrest, presenting data on demographics, opioid use, and healthcare access over a 3-month tracking period.
Author(s): Hilary L. Surratt, Michele Staton, Carl G. Leukefeld, Carrie B. Oser, J. Matthew Webster
Citation: Journal of Addictive Diseases, 37(1-2), 1-4
Date: 12/2018
Type: Document
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America's Child Care Deserts in 2018
Assesses child care availability in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with a special emphasis on how limited or complete lack of access disproportionately impacts rural and Hispanic/Latino populations. Includes discussion on child care deserts and provides a list of policy recommendations to increase access to low-cost and high-quality child care.
Author(s): Rasheed Malik, Katie Hamm, Leila Schochet, et al.
Date: 12/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for American Progress
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Rural and Appalachian Disparities in Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Incidence and Access to Opioid Abuse Treatment
Examines the disparity of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) prevalence in Appalachian and non-Appalachian Kentucky and in comparison to national data. Considers why data from this study may or may not be useful in identifying regional and national trends. Also discusses the challenges of providing substance abuse treatment to pregnant women and Appalachian populations.
Author(s): Joshua D. Brown, Amie J. Goodin, Jeffrey C. Talbert
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 34(1), 6-13
Date: 12/2018
Type: Document
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