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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Appalachia

A Rural Community's Perspective on the Causes of and Solutions to the Opioid Crisis in Southern Virginia: A Qualitative Study
Results of a study to gain insight into the perceptions, knowledge, and experiences of members of a southern Virginia rural community affected by the opioid crisis, to inform the development of local strategies to address the problem. Examines barriers and facilitators to treatment programs and offers recommendations for targeting populations at risk.
Author(s): Angelina J. Hargrove, Carlin Rafie, Emily Zimmerman, Dawn E. Moser
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 22(2), 7152
Date: 06/2022
Type: Document
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Telemedicine Versus In-person Primary Care: Impact on Visit Completion Rate in a Rural Appalachian Population
Explores telemedicine use in a primary care clinic in rural West Virginia and its impact on patient access and visit completion rates. Examines visit completion rates of 110,999 patients from January 2019 to November 2020, with patient data broken down by sex, age, marital status, and distance in miles from facility.
Author(s): Treah Haggerty, Heather M. Stephens, Shaylee A. Peckens, et al.
Citation: The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 35(3), 475-484
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
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Kentucky - Demographics, Analytics, Trends and Access (K-DATA) - 2021
Report containing healthcare-related data points, sources, and figures to assist community members, grant writers, program developers, and others with supportive data for program development, goal setting, and evaluation. Features statistics on social determinants of health, Health Professional Shortage Areas, rural access to care, substance use disorder, diabetes, cancer, and disabilities, with breakdowns by rural, urban, Delta, and Appalachian regions of Kentucky.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health
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Health Policy Fact Sheet: Racial and Geographic Disparities In Maternal Morbidity and Mortality
Provides an overview of the racial and geographic healthcare disparities in Ohio related to maternal morbidity and mortality. Discusses the need for access to prenatal care, eliminating toxic stress, and utilizing evidence-based strategies to reduce maternal healthcare disparities. Includes discussions specific to rural communities as well as maternal morbidity data broken down by urban, Appalachian, suburban, and rural.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
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Designing a Framework for Remote Cancer Care Through Community Co-Design: Participatory Development Study
Explores the design and implementation of a framework to provide telemedicine cancer care in urban and rural areas of Kentucky. Addresses issues of health disparities and lack of broadband access in geographic areas such as Appalachia. Provides examples of participatory and co-design processes to create telemedicine options and engage communities.
Author(s): Eliah Aronoff-Spencer, Melanie McComsey, Ming-Yuan Chih, et al.
Citation: Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(4)
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
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Agriculture and Local Food Economies in the Appalachian Region
Discusses Appalachia's food systems based on the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) 2017 Census of Agriculture, highlighting the connection to economic and community development, environmental health and safety, and public health. Provides case studies of food banks that improve community access to food as well as produce prescription programs that help treat chronic diseases and promote community health.
Date: 04/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Appalachian Regional Commission
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Differences in Distress Between Rural and Non-rural Appalachian Breast Cancer Patient / Caregiver Dyads During the First Year of Treatment
Results of a pilot study measuring self-reported anxiety, depression, and caregiver strain among 48 Appalachian breast cancer patients and their caregivers, as identified by the University of Tennessee Medical Center from 2019-2020. Features demographics and statistics on types of psychological distress at baseline, 6-week, 6-month, and 12-month time frames, with breakdowns by rural or nonrural location.
Author(s): Jordan Tasman, Callie D. McAdams, Jillian Lloyd, Ashton J. Brooks, Patricia Nola Eugene Roberson
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 4(3), 56-70
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
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The Impact of a Grocery Store Closure in One Rural Highly Obese Appalachian Community on Shopping Behavior and Dietary Intake
Results of telephone surveys of people in Martin County, Kentucky, a highly obese community in which healthy food accessibility is scarce and which experienced the closure of a local grocery store in January 2020. Includes demographics for the participants, and compares their food shopping habits at the time of the initial contact with those at the time of a follow-up survey a year later.
Author(s): Rachel Gillespie, Emily DeWitt, Stacey Slone, Kathryn Cardarelli, Alison Gustafson
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(6), 3506
Date: 03/2022
Type: Document
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They Built My Soul: A Qualitative Analysis of the Impacts of Home Repairs in Rural Tennessee
Reports results of 28 interviews with rural Tennessee residents who received housing repairs from the Appalachia Service Project, a nonprofit ministry focused on housing improvement. Identifies discussion themes and comments related to environmental risk, physical health, mental health, financial well-being, and willingness to receive assistance from service organizations. Discusses housing as a social determinant of health, and highlights rural and Appalachian housing and health needs.
Author(s): Bethesda O'Connell, Ada Sloop, Nicole Intagliata, Melisa Miller, Megan Quinn
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 4(1), 9-19
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
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Predictors of Mortality for Patients with COVID-19 in the Rural Appalachian Region
Examines patient mortality related to COVID-19 between April 5, 2020 to December 31, 2020 based on data from 13 facilities in the Appalachian Regional Healthcare system. Discusses aging population, comorbidities, and health-related behaviors common in rural populations that increase COVID-19 risks. Includes survival and mortality statistics broken down according to demographic and clinical characteristics, serum biomarkers, and treatments.
Author(s): Huzefa Bhopalwala, Nakeya Dewaswala, Sandhya Kolagatla, et al.
Citation: International Journal of General Medicine, 15, 2207-2214
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
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