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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Impact of a Diabetic Retinal Exam Screening Program on Quality Measure Gaps at a Family Medicine Practice
Examines access to diabetic retinal exams and the impact of their availability on quality measures at a rural family medicine center in southwestern Pennsylvania. Includes data on diabetic retinal screenings and associated factors related to exam access.
Author(s): Michael Hair, Alexandra Tardugno, Alyssa Greenaway, Chelse Wisenor, Autumn Stewart-Lynch
Citation: Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 65(1)
Date: 01/2025
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Delivering Broadband from Beginning to "End"
Describes the process, timeline, and challenges of designing and implementing a reliable and robust broadband network in rural areas.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Foundation for Rural Service, NTCA: The Rural Broadband Association
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Nevada Rural and Frontier Health Data Book - Twelfth Edition
Provides an overview of the health and healthcare in rural and frontier Nevada. Offers state and county-level data on the resident population, economic and social characteristics, insurance coverage, population health, the healthcare workforce, and the healthcare delivery system.
Author(s): Tabor Griswold, John Packham, Simran Kaur, et al.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine Office of Statewide Initiatives
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A Consultation Model for Intellectual and Developmental Disability Care
Analyzes the impact of a consultation model within an Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) clinic in North Carolina. Examines 2017-2023 data of IDD patients and includes breakdowns of patient demographics, clinical needs, administrative characteristics, and estimated travel distance/time to clinic. Discusses the consultation model and its potential to serve rural and geographically dispersed patients.
Author(s): Rebecca T. Putnam, Phillip M. Hughes, Chelsea C. Atkins, C. Micha Belden
Citation: The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 38(1), 180-187
Date: 01/2025
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2023 Pennsylvania Dentist and Dental Hygienist Workforce Survey Report
Presents findings from the 2023 Dentist Survey and 2023 Dental Hygienist Survey, designed to collect information on the characteristics and distribution of the dentist and dental hygienist workforces in Pennsylvania. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Pennsylvania Department of Health
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Perinatal Mental Health in Maine
Offers data from various sources, including reviews of pregnancy-associated deaths, to help health professionals, policymakers, and the public understand the current status of perinatal mental health in Maine. Includes a section on mental health needs in rural areas and a county-level map with shadings showing numbers of mental health providers per 10,000 population.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Maine Department of Health and Human Services
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Vermont 2023 Census of Dentists: Statistical Report
Presents detailed profiles of dentists who renewed their Vermont licenses in September 2023, to be used as the basis for policy analysis, shortage area designations, and recruitment and retention. Features statistics including a section on primary care dentistry-to-population ratios with breakdowns by county.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Vermont Department of Health
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Enhancing Rural Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder: Policy Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary
Provides an overview of issues related to opioid use disorder (OUD) in rural areas. Discusses access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), MOUD workforce, telehealth to support access to MOUD, and Medicaid 1115 demonstrations that address OUD. Offers policy recommendations related to regulatory barriers, reimbursement flexibility, workforce, and service site expansion to increase access to MOUD in rural areas.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Assessing the Needs of Rural Families Affected by the Opioid Crisis: Issue Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary
Explores the considerations for addressing social determinants of health that influence opioid use disorder (OUD) and the role of community efforts in prevention, treatment, and recovery in rural areas, with a focus on prevention efforts in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Discusses youth and family prevention and well-being; stigma; adverse childhood experience; school-based health centers and youth and family resource centers; access to stable housing, food, and other social supports; the importance of trusted community resources for support; and workforce. Offers recommendations related to reducing stigma and promoting the enhanced utilization of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) to help rural communities address OUD and substance use disorders.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Travel Time as an Indicator of Poor Access to Care in Surgical Emergencies
Results of a study to determine how proximity to emergency care impacts disease complexity for patients with acute surgical conditions. Features statistics including sociodemographic and clinical characteristics by travel time, with breakdowns by rural, micropolitan, and metropolitan areas.
Author(s): Nina M. Clark, Alexandra H. Hernandez, Mia S. Bertalan, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(1), e2455258
Date: 01/2025
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