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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Sociodemographic Inequities in Telemedicine Use Among US Patients Initiating Treatment in Community Cancer Centers During the Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-2022
Evaluates demographic factors associated with use of telehealth within 90 days after starting cancer treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic, utilizing March 2020-March 2023 data of 36,993 cancer patients. Includes data on telehealth inequities by race and ethnicity, insurance, socioeconomic status, rurality, and more.
Author(s): Jenny S. Guadamuz, Xiaoliang Wang, Trevor J. Royce, Gregory S. Calip
Citation: JCO Oncology Practice, 19(12), 1206-1214
Date: 09/2023
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Telehealth Use and Access to Neurology Outpatient Clinical Services for Children: An Observational Cohort Study
Analyzes pediatric neurology appointment completion, cancellation, and no-show rates among telehealth users and telehealth non-users at a tertiary care children's hospital in North Carolina. Compares appointment outcomes before and during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, including rural versus urban demographic and outcome data.
Author(s): Savithri Nageswaran, Annette Grefe, Shyh-Huei Chen, Eric Kirkendall, Edward H. Ip
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 85(1)
Date: 09/2023
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Maintaining Fidelity to ACT: Current Issues and Innovations in Implementation
Reports on principles, implementation, and population-based adaptions of the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model, which provides community-based treatment and recovery services for people with serious mental illness and high risk of concurrent substance use, homelessness, criminal justice system involvement, or psychiatric crisis. See pages 35-38 for discussion of rural ACT implementation and modifications.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Exploring Patient Care Navigation in the Medicare Program
Presents an overview of patient navigation programs through an environmental scan of literature published between 2013 and 2023 and discussions with key informants at four healthcare organizations. Describes the variety of patient navigation services, types of patients targeted, settings that offer navigation services, staffing, funding, clinical outcomes, and more. Includes a brief discussion of programs targeting patients in rural areas. Identifies implementation and policy considerations and potential barriers to supporting patient navigation services.
Additional links: Annex, Executive Summary
Author(s): Zachary Predmore, Joachim Hero, Stephanie Dellva, et al.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, RAND Health Care
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Maternal and Child Health Services Title V Block Grant - Hawaii: FY 2024 Application/FY 2022 Annual Report
Describes Hawaii's maternal and child health programs, which include priorities related to family planning, food security, rates of child abuse and neglect, health screenings for children, wellness visits and vaccination, mental healthcare, telehealth access, and more. Discusses healthcare access issues for rural residents, activities by the Office of Primary Care and Rural Health, Medicaid provider shortages, and other rural-relevant issues.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Hawaii State Department of Health
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Effect of a Telephone-Based Lifestyle Intervention on Weight, Body Composition, and Metabolic Biomarkers in Rural Ohio: Results from a Randomized Pilot Study
Examines the effectiveness of a 15-week telephone counseling intervention encouraging healthy eating and physical activity among 27 rural Ohio adults with overweight or obesity. Provides data on participants' weight, body composition, fasting blood lipids, and inflammatory biomarkers after 15 weeks of intervention. Highlights findings related to weight and cholesterol management, and discusses rural health disparities and access barriers.
Author(s): Xiaochen Zhang, Victoria R. DeScenza, Zachary L. Chaplow, et al.
Citation: Nutrients, 15(18), 3998
Date: 09/2023
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Access to Intercity Transportation in Rural Areas
Provides information and an interactive map that shows the percentage of rural residents who have access to commercial air, intercity bus, or intercity rail transportation. Includes county-level data for the years 2006, 2012, 2018, and 2021. Depicts state-level transportation access data as well as demographic characteristics of rural areas.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
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Hunger Pains: How Food Insecurity Affects Oral Health
Report discusses the ways food insecurity affects oral health outcomes. Highlights populations suffering from food insecurity and compares rural and urban populations. Details the oral health disparities that correlate with food insecurity.
Author(s): Paige Martin, Morgan Santoro, Lisa J. Heaton, et al.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
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National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services Meeting Summary, Colorado Springs, Colorado, September 6-8, 2023
Summarizes the 93nd meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS), which was held in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Presents an overview of national and state perspectives on disability and independence in rural communities.
Additional links: Lincoln County Human Services Site Visit Summary
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Mental Health Outcomes Among Patients Living in US Counties Lacking Broadband Access and Psychiatrists
Presents a study on mental health access for people who live in counties without psychiatrists and broadband coverage. Discusses the expansion of telehealth services for mental healthcare and consultation. Aims to evaluate mental health access in mostly rural counties with a workforce shortage and a lack of broadband access.
Author(s): Tarun Ramesh, Ryan K. McBain, Jonathan H. Cantor, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(9), e2333781
Date: 09/2023
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