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Resources by Topic: Health conditions

Disparities in Structural Brain Imaging in Older Adults from Rural Communities in Southern Nevada
Analyzes the association of brain cortical thickness (CT) with rurality and neighborhood disadvantage among older adults with and without clinical impairment related to dementia. Utilizes demographic and MRI scan data of 71 rural and 87 urban Nevadans.
Author(s): Xiaowei Zhuang, Dietmar Cordes, Jessica Z. K. Caldwell, Andrew R. Bender, Justin B. Miller
Citation: Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 16
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
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What to Know About Medicare Coverage of Telehealth
Discusses telehealth use by Medicare patients before, during, and after declaration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Notes temporary telehealth provisions set to expire December 31, 2024, telehealth provisions made permanent, and trends in use since 2020. Includes rural and urban comparisons of telehealth use since 2020. Discusses payment models for Medicare and Medicare Advantage, current policies related to telehealth, fraud, and the cost of coverage through Medicare.
Author(s): Alex Cottrill, Juliette Cubanski, Tricia Neuman
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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State of Geographic Access to Cancer Treatment Trials in the United States: Are Studies Located Where Patients Live?
Examines disparities in geographic access to cancer clinical trials through an analysis of trial availability at the county level and drive time to reach available trials. Includes data on demographics and other characteristics of high and low access counties, including metropolitan-nonmetropolitan comparisons. Provides color-coded maps showing access at the county and state levels.
Author(s): M. Kelsey Kirkwood, Caroline Schenkel, Dominique C. Hinshaw, et al.
Citation: JCO Oncology Practice
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
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Younger and Rural Children are More Likely to be Hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2 Infections
Examines patient characteristics and likelihood of hospitalization among children with SARS-CoV-2, utilizing May 2020-April 2022 Arkansas Children's Hospital data. Analyzes hospitalization rates during each wave of the COVID-19 pandemic with demographic data breakdowns, including comparisons between rural and urban children.
Author(s): Rebecca M. Cantu, Sara C. Sanders, Grace A. Turner, et al.
Citation: PLoS ONE, 19(10), e0308221
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
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Adaptations to a Patient Navigation Program for Follow-Up Colonoscopy in Rural Primary Care Practices
Analyzes adaptations made by a patient navigation program to improve colorectal cancer screenings at rural primary care clinics in Oregon. Examines patient reflections and interviews as well as clinic meetings and reflections from practice facilitators. Discusses proactive adaptations of the program for a rural context as well as reactive adaptations made due to COVID-19.
Author(s): Jamie H. Thompson, Jennifer S. Rivelli, Jennifer L. Schneider, et al.
Citation: Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 30(7), 1457-1466
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
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Equitable COVID-19 Testing Access for Underserved Communities: The Success of Vending Machines
Examines the public health strategy of the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) to use vending machines for free distribution of COVID-19 tests. Focuses on placement of vending machines to improve access in rural and underserved areas, mitigating the spread of disease.
Author(s): Danielle Jamerson, Kimberly Franich, Cassius Lockett
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 114(S7), S558-S561
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
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Promoting Equitable Access to COVID-19 Vaccinations in Rural and Underserved Arizona: Experiences From Three County Health Departments
Provides background on health disparities related to the COVID-19 outbreak in Arizona and strategies to implement local vaccine access in rural and underserved areas. Discusses how health departments collaborated to serve rural, migrant, and Native American populations.
Author(s): Bryna Koch, Mona Arora, Brianna Rooney, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 114(S7), S546-S550
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
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Cross-Border Utilization of Cancer Care by Patients in the US and Mexico – A Survey of Mexican Oncologists
Examines cancer care utilization among patients who cross the U.S.-Mexico border to receive care, utilizing data from a survey of 66 cancer care providers working in Mexican border states. Provides data on treatments received and reasons for receiving cross-border care among U.S. and Mexico-based patients.
Author(s): Michael LaPelusa, Haydee Verduzco-Aguirre, Fernando Diaz, Fernando Aldaco, Enrique Soto-Perez-de-Celis
Citation: Globalization and Health, 19, 78
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
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The Contribution of Rural/Urban Residence to Incidence and Survival in Thymoma and Thymic Carcinoma, a Retrospective Cohort Study of the SEER 2000–2020 Database
Examines rural versus urban survival disparities related to thymic cancer. Utilizes 2000-2020 diagnosed cases from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) 17-State database and provides sociodemographic information of patients and rural versus urban survival comparisons.
Author(s): Joseph Cascone, Bianca Ituarte, Vani Patel, et al.
Citation: Cancer Epidemiology, 92
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
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Associations between Minority Health Social Vulnerability Index Scores, Rurality, and Histoplasmosis Incidence, 8 US States
Examines association between histoplasmosis and race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and rurality, utilizing county-level Minority Health Social Vulnerability Index (MH SVI) data. Breaks down histoplasmosis infection rates by level of rurality, with additional data on rurality and infection for 8 MH SVI themes including socioeconomic status, minority status and language, healthcare infrastructure and access, and more. Discusses rural health access and health disparities.
Author(s): Dallas J. Smith, Malavika Rajeev, Kristina Boyd, et al.
Citation: Emerging Infectious Diseases, 30(10)
Date: 10/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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