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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Rural Women Delivering Babies in Non-Local Hospitals: Differences by Rurality and Insurance Status
Describes the factors, including health insurance status and degree of rurality, that influence rural pregnant women to give birth in non-local hospitals.
Author(s): Katy Kozhimannil, Michelle Casey, Peiyin Hung, Shailendra Prasad, Ira Moscovice
Date: 06/2015
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Early Versus Delayed Initiation of Concurrent Palliative Oncology Care: Patient Outcomes in the ENABLE III Randomized Controlled Trial
Examines the effects of early versus delayed palliative care, the ENABLE (Educate, Nurture, Advise, Before Life Ends) model. ENABLE has shown to be an effective telehealth model particularly for patients with advanced stages of cancer and family caregivers in rural areas. Patient outcomes reported focused on quality of life, symptoms, temperament, survival rate, and hospital and clinical care use.
Author(s): Marie A. Bakitas, Tor D. Tosteson, Zhigang Li, et al.
Citation: Journal of Clinical Oncology, 33(13), 1438-1445
Date: 05/2015
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Rural Healthy People 2020: New Decade, Same Challenges
Uses results from a nationally representative survey to identify rural health priorities from Healthy People 2020's national priorities. Top rural health priorities include access to quality healthcare, nutrition and weight status, diabetes, and others.
Author(s): Jane N. Bolin, Gail R. Bellamy, Alva O. Ferdinand, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 31(3), 326-333
Date: 05/2015
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Disparities in the Utilization of Laparoscopic Surgery for Colon Cancer in Rural Nebraska: A Call for Placement and Training of Rural General Surgeons
Examines demographic and clinical characteristics associated with receiving a laparoscopic colectomy and a rural versus urban analysis of patients who received either a laparoscopic or an open colectomy procedure in rural Nebraska. Includes data for both surgical procedures by insurance payer, cancer location and stage at diagnosis, gender, and marital status, among others.
Author(s): Kelli Gruber, Amr S. Soliman, Kendra Schmid, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 31(4), 392-400
Date: 05/2015
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An Overview of the Patient-Centered Medical Home for Rural Patients, Caregivers, and Healthcare Stakeholders
Summary of a project designed to prepare rural stakeholders to participate in comparative effectiveness research (CER), obtain baseline information to learn more about patient-centered medical homes from a rural perspective, select an area in need of CER, and create channels for sharing those results.
Date: 05/2015
Sponsoring organization: University of Kansas School of Social Welfare Center for Children and Families
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Creating Opportunity and Prosperity Through Strengthening Rural-Urban Connections
Highlights examples in which regional development organizations can benefit from linking rural regions with urban centers. Includes information on broadband development and its implication for improving access to healthcare services.
Author(s): Brian Dabson, Erin Meyers
Date: 05/2015
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
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Health, United States, 2014: With Special Feature on Adults Aged 55-64
Presents an annual overview of national trends in health statistics. Covers health status and determinants, healthcare utilization, access, and expenditures. Includes data on rural areas - see index under "Metropolitan/nonmetropolitan data." 2014 edition includes a special section on adults aged 55-64, covering health status, health behaviors, health insurance coverage, healthcare utilization, and more.
Date: 05/2015
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Transportation Update: Where We've Gone and What We've Learned
Update to the 2005 report, The Current State of Transportation for People with Disabilities in the United States. Chapter 7 discusses the gaps and barriers in transit services in rural areas and identifies funding sources for rural transportation as well as effective strategies to help the rural population of people with disabilities access healthcare, employment, and participate in the community.
Date: 05/2015
Sponsoring organization: National Council on Disability
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The Persistent Health Care Access Gap for Children Living in Poverty: Will the Health Technology Revolution Level the Playing Field?
Discusses the need for and challenges to expanding healthcare technology for medically underserved children living in poverty stricken areas and rural areas. Highlights the potential to improve access to healthcare and health outcomes through the use of electronic health records (EHRs), telehealth, mobile medical clinics and diagnostic tools, and mobile communication devices. Offers recommendations for accelerating the use of technology in rural and underserved areas.
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: Children's Health Fund
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Improving Access and Provision of Preventive Oral Health Care for Very Young, Poor, and Low-Income Children Through a New Interdisciplinary Partnership
Describes a demonstration model in which dental care and education was provided by a nurse practitioner-dietitian team to 4,360 Ohio preschool children enrolled in the Women, Infants, and Children program at one urban and one rural site.
Author(s): Diana L. Biordi, Marjet Heitzer, Eric Mundy, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 105(Suppl 2), e23-e29
Date: 04/2015
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