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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

The Relationship Between Felt Stigma and Non-Fatal Overdose among Rural People Who Use Drugs
Analyzes associations between felt stigma and recent non-fatal overdose among 2,608 rural people who use opioids from January 2018 to March 2020. Discusses factors influencing stigma in rural areas and describes interventions which reduce stigma-related barriers to treatment and overdose prevention.
Author(s): Adams L. Sibley, Emma Klein, Hannah L.F. Cooper, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 21, 77
Date: 04/2024
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Locations and Characteristics of Pharmacy Deserts in the United States: A Geospatial Study
Classifies census tracts as pharmacy deserts or non-pharmacy deserts. Compares pharmacy desert and non-pharmacy desert areas by various social determinants of health and pharmacy characteristics including rurality. See the supplemental materials for state-by-state and rural/urban comparisons.
Author(s): Rachel Wittenauer, Parth D. Shah, Jennifer L. Bacci, Andy Stergachis
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 2(4)
Date: 04/2024
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Federal Retail Pharmacy Program Contributions to Bivalent mRNA COVID-19 Vaccinations Across Sociodemographic Characteristics — United States, September 1, 2022–September 30, 2023
Reports on COVID-19 bivalent vaccine doses administered by pharmacies participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program (FRPP) from September 1, 2022–September 30, 2023. Includes data on doses administered in urban and rural settings and discusses urban compared to rural contributions of FRPP pharmacies.
Author(s): Roua El Kalach, Nkenge Jones-Jack, Mattie A. Elam, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 73(13), 286-290
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Access to Preferred Skilled Nursing Facilities: Transitional Care Pathways for Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
Examines the ability of patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) to access their preferred skilled nursing facility (SNF). Analyzes 2017-2019 data from 3,019,260 Medicare hospitalizations that resulted in an SNF transfer, with breakdowns according to distance to care, level of rurality, and other characteristics.
Author(s): Dori A. Cross, Taylor I. Bucy, Momotazur Rahman, John P. McHugh
Citation: Health Services Research, 59(2)
Date: 04/2024
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Brief Report: Service Acquisition for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Rural Southwest Virginia: The Role of Caregiver Psychoeducation
Examines access to psychoeducation (PE) for caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in rural Southwest Virginia. Analyzes the impact of PE delivered by a live clinician versus paper materials and the impact on new ASD service acquisition following caregiver PE.
Author(s): Daniele C Martino, Jennifer R Bertollo, Angela Scarpa
Citation: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 56(1), 436-441
Date: 03/2024
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Report on Prevention of Out-Of-Network Ground Ambulance Emergency Service Balance Billing
Recommendations from the Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing Advisory Committee, convened between May and November, 2023, to protect consumers from balance billing and protect their access to emergency services. Features sections on rural ambulance services and community paramedicine.
Date: 03/2024
Sponsoring organization: Ground Ambulance and Patient Billing Advisory Committee
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What Happens to Rural Hospitals During a Ransomware Attack? Evidence from Medicare Data
Explores the effects of ransomware attacks on hospital operations. Analyzes data from the Tracking Healthcare Ransomware Events and Traits (THREAT) database, which includes information for every hospital identified as experiencing a ransomware attack between 2016 and 2021, and linked to Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) claims data. Compares the characteristics of rural and urban hospitals that experienced a ransomware attack. Describes the impact of ransomware attacks on rural and urban inpatient admissions, outpatient and emergency room visit volume, and travel distance and time to the next closest hospital not experiencing an attack.
Author(s): Hannah T. Neprash, Claire C. McGlave, Katie Rydberg, Carrie Henning-Smith
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 40(4), 728-737
Date: 03/2024
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Visiting with Elders - Aging, Caregiving, and Planning for Future Generations of American Indians and Alaska Natives
Reports on a listening session to identify themes in the perspectives of American Indian and Alaska Native elders on aging, age-related diseases, and caregiving. Discusses culture, elder abuse, social connection, barriers to healthcare and other services, dementia education, and more.
Author(s): Cole Allick, Marija Bogic
Citation: Genealogy, 8(2), 36
Date: 03/2024
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Strategies to Eliminate Inequity in PrEP Services in the US South and Rural Communities
Examines novel and promising programs and interventions to potentially improve HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) access in the U.S. South and rural communities. Describes ways to normalize, digitalize, and simplify PrEP care.
Author(s): Emiko Kamitani, Yuko Mizuno, Linda J. Koenig
Citation: Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 35(2), 153-160
Date: 03/2024
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Survival Disparities in Rural Versus Urban Patients with Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumor: A Multi-Institutional Study from the US Neuroendocrine Tumor Study Group
Compares overall survival of 1176 rural and urban patients who underwent pancreatic neoendocrine tumor (PNET) resection between 2000 and 2016, utilizing US Neuroendocrine Tumor Study Group data. Includes data on tumor pathology and patient management factors. Discusses barriers to care after PNET diagnosis for rural populations.
Author(s): Muhammad Bilal Mirza, Jordan J. Baechle, Paula Marincola Smith, et al.
Citation: The American Journal of Surgery, 233, 125-131
Date: 03/2024
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