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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health conditions

CMS Pandemic Plan
Guide to help CMS prepare for, respond to, and recover from current and future pandemic threats. Addresses policy responses related to waivers and flexibilities. Includes some information specific to rural healthcare providers, healthcare facilities, and residents.
Date: 01/2021
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan for the United States: A Roadmap to Elimination 2021-2025
Functions as a comprehensive roadmap for federal and other stakeholders to decrease and ultimately eliminate viral hepatitis cases, prevent new infections, and enhance treatment and care in the U.S. Provides information on Hepatitis A, B, and C, including the number of reported and estimated cases from 2010-2018, current challenges, priority populations, and more.
Date: 01/2021
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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One in Three Adults Used Telehealth during the First Six Months of the Pandemic, but Unmet Needs for Care Persisted
Examines the use of telehealth among nonelderly adults during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Explores overall telehealth utilization, patient satisfaction, wanting telehealth services but not receiving them, the share of patients who went without care, and reasons for not using telehealth. Includes data on sociodemographic factors, health status, and number of chronic conditions.
Author(s): Laura Barrie Smith, Fredric Blavin
Date: 01/2021
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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Diagnosing and Managing Mild TBI in Rural Kids
Discusses the challenges of diagnosing and treating pediatric mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in rural areas. Covers recommendations and rules for computerized tomography (CT) scans and symptom assessment, recovery and support for patients, educational resources for patients and families, and telemedicine as an option that increases access to follow-up care for mTBI.
Author(s): Kelly Sarmiento
Date: 01/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Tele‐ICUs for COVID‐19: A Look at National Prevalence and Characteristics of Hospitals Providing Teleintensive Care
Discusses a study on the prevalence of intensive care unit telemedicine (tele-ICUs) in hospitals across the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically in rural and Critical Access Hospitals. Compares hospitals by region, ICU beds, and emergency visits, among other measures.
Author(s): Dunc Williams Jr., John Lawrence, Young-Rock Hong, Aaron Winn
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(1), 133-141
Date: 01/2021
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American Indian and Alaska Native People: Social Vulnerability and COVID-19
Details the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tribal areas and the social vulnerability of American Indian and Alaska Native people. Discusses poverty, household composition, and transportation access, among other factors.
Author(s): Elizabeth D. Hathaway
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(1), 256-259
Date: 01/2021
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Telemedicine Services During COVID‐19: Considerations for Medically Underserved Populations
Discusses the use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic and details some of the barriers to its use in underserved areas. Highlights the lack of broadband internet in rural areas and on tribal lands, as well the lack of technological capability among older people.
Author(s): Tasha Woodall, Melinda Ramage, John T. LaBruyere, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(1), 231-234
Date: 01/2021
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The Importance of Video Visits in the Time of COVID-19
Highlights the importance of video-to-home telemedicine (VTH) for maintaining mental healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses the usefulness of VTH in expanding access to mental healthcare broadly, as well as some of the infrastructure-based limitations that currently exist.
Author(s): Jan A. Lindsay, Julianna B. Hogan, Anthony H. Ecker, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(1), 242-245
Date: 01/2021
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Barriers to Telemedicine Implementation in Southwest Tribal Communities During COVID-19
Explores some of the barriers to expanding telemedicine to tribal communities in the Southwestern U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses some of the existing health and infrastructure disparities faced by the tribes and details both the need for telemedicine and the barriers to providing it.
Author(s): Janessa M. Graves, Jessica L. Mackelprang, Solmaz Amiri, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(1), 239-241
Date: 01/2021
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Will Community Health Centers Survive COVID-19?
Evaluates the financial vulnerability of rural Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses the importance of FQHCs to rural and underserved areas and makes suggestions to fortify FQHC revenue.
Author(s): Brad Wright, Erin Fraher, Marni Gwyther Holder, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(1), 235-238
Date: 01/2021
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