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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health conditions

Changes in Emergency Department Visits in the Initial Period of the COVID-19 Pandemic (April–December 2020), 29 States
Presents data from 29 states on the difference between the number of emergency department (ED) visits and ED admission rates between April and December 2020 and compares this data to the same time period in 2019. Includes data by patient characteristics, including urban-rural status and race/ethnicity.
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Home Health Agencies Used Multiple Strategies to Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Although Some Challenges Persist
Presents results of a survey of home health agencies (HHAs) conducted between September through December 2021 to explore the challenges they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses challenges related to staffing, infection control, the use of telehealth, and the adequacy of emergency preparedness plans, as well as challenges specific to rural HHAs. Provides recommendations for how the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) can help HHAs prepare for and respond to current and future infectious disease outbreaks and changes to the home health care landscape.
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Promoting Health and Behavior Change through Evidence-Based Landscape Interventions in Rural Communities: A Pilot Protocol
Highlights a study on the efficacy of a rural wellness hub model designed to support physical activity in rural areas. Details the design, implementation, and outcomes of the pilot program in Clay County, West Virginia. Breaks down data by demographic information, such as age, gender, and ethnicity, and by physical activity engaged in.
Author(s): Shan Jiang, Udday Datta, Christine Jones
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 12833
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
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The Involvement of Rural Health Clinic Practitioners in Cancer Treatment Decisions and Survivorship Care
Results of a survey examining how practitioners from 153 Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) in 36 states are involved in their patients' cancer treatment and survivorship decisions. Features statistics on RHC characteristics, proportions of RHC practitioners who provide care or engage in joint decisions with another practitioner, RHC practitioner roles in cancer survivorship care, and experience with follow-up care for cancer survivors.
Author(s): Whitney E. Zahnd, Allie F. Silverman, Stella Self, et al.
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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Rural Students' Access to the Internet
Provides percentages of students who have access to fixed broadband by city, suburban, town, and rural locale, which is further broken down by fringe, distant, or remote areas. Includes discussions of related broadband issues such as influences of poverty and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Education Statistics
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RHC Policies & Procedures
Recording of an October 6, 2022, webinar on Rural Health Clinic (RHC) policies and procedures. Discusses regulatory requirements for RHC policies and procedures, including patient care, medical record, and emergency preparedness policies and procedures. Describes new requirements, including the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, the transition out of the COVID-19 public health emergency, and potential changes that may occur in 2023. Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Transcript
Date: 10/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Suicide and Self-Harm in Youth Presenting to a US Rural Hospital During COVID-19
Presents a study on rural emergency department utilization and hospital admission for suicide or self-harm in children ages 5 to 17 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzes hospital data from January, 2017 to May 2021. Breaks down data by demographic factors, such as race, gender, and rurality, as well as length of stay and visit type, among other measures.
Author(s): Mary Arakelyan, Jennifer A. Emond, JoAnna K. Leyenaar
Citation: Hospital Pediatrics, 12(10), e336–e342
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
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Lessening the Impact of Financial Toxicity (Lift): A Protocol for a Multi-Site, Single-Arm Trial Examining the Effect of Financial Navigation on Financial Toxicity in Adult Patients with Cancer in Rural and Non-Rural Settings
Describes a trial study that examines financial toxicity (FT) experienced by adults with cancer in both rural and urban settings and implements financial navigation (FN) strategies for the patient. Observes 780 patients over 2 years who are enrolled in the Lessening the Impact of Financial Toxicity (LIFT) study that identifies and screens for FT, connects patients to FN resources, and includes ongoing check-ins and electronic tracking of LIFT patients. Includes rural versus urban breakdowns of oncology settings by organizational characteristics such as cancer program type, hospital ownership structure, presence of satellite locations, number of inpatient beds, and number of counties in catchment area.
Author(s): Stephanie B. Wheeler, Caitlin B. Biddell, Michelle L. Manning, et al.
Citation: Trials, 23, 839
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
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COVID Community-Engaged Testing in Alabama: Reaching Underserved Rural Populations Through Collaboration
Provides an overview of the National Institutes of Health's Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics–Underserved Populations initiative that fostered collaborations to increase COVID-19 testing in rural areas of Alabama. Discusses intervention, implementation, and evaluation of initiative and includes county-level data on tests administered.
Author(s): Christopher Greer McCollum, Thomas N. Creger, Aadia I. Rana, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 112(10), 1399-1403
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
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Pairing Project ECHO and Patient Navigation as an Innovative Approach to Improving the Health and Wellness of Cancer Survivors in Rural Settings
Presents a study on the use of Project ECHO and patient navigation programs to support rural cancer control programs for survivors. Evaluates the efficacy of the programs in improving both access to cancer support care, as well as the quality of care received. Details the challenges and facilitators to these programs in each site.
Author(s): Elizabeth Rohan, PhD,1 Nora Kuiper, MPH,2 Shelly-Ann Bowen, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 38(4), 855-864
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
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