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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

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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Promoting Maternal Health in Rural and Underserved Areas
Examines reasons for the rural obstetrical care crisis and discusses how public policy and technological innovation can improve healthcare quality and access in rural America. Includes sections on scope-of-practice restrictions and policy barriers to telemedicine's broad implementation.
Author(s): Darcy Nikol Bryan
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: Mercatus Center, George Mason University
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Drive Times to Opioid Treatment Programs in Urban and Rural Counties in 5 U.S. States
Examines the driving times to opioid treatment programs in urban and rural counties in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia. Compares drive times to Federally Qualified Health Centers and dialysis centers as possible prescribing and treatment locations.
Author(s): Paul J. Joudrey, E. Jennifer Edelman, Emily A. Wang
Citation: JAMA, 322(13), 1310-1312
Date: 10/2019
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Alaska Native Patient and Provider Perspectives on the Multitarget Stool DNA Test Compared with Colonoscopy for Colorectal Cancer Screening
Studies the potential for take-home multitarget stool DNA testing (MT-sDNA) for colorectal cancer to increase access to screening for Alaska Native communities. Discusses barriers to colonoscopy screening, including access to colonoscopy providers and patient resistance to the procedure. Analyzes data from surveys of patients and providers, comparing patient responses based on age and emphasizing acceptability of MT-sDNA among both groups.
Author(s): Diana G. Redwood, Ian D. Blake, Ellen M. Provost, et al.
Citation: Journal of Primary Care and Community Health, 10, 1-7
Date: 10/2019
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