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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health disparities

White Paper on Telehealth in the Rural American West
Describes issues of healthcare access for rural communities in the American West and ways that telehealth can address disparities in access and health conditions for rural and underserved populations. Offers an overview of telehealth technology, policy, barriers to implementation, and recommendations.
Author(s): Bruce E. Cain
Date: 2020
Sponsoring organization: Stanford Bill Lane Center for the American West
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Missouri Primary Care Needs Assessment (PCNA) 2020
Analyzes Missouri's unmet healthcare needs and lack of access to healthcare services, and evaluates resources and services necessary to overcome health disparities in Missouri. Features statistics on Health Professional Shortage Areas, various incentive programs, and 33 primary care health indicators, with breakdowns by urban and rural locations.
Author(s): Sara Davenport, Laura Hart, Aleesha Jones, et al.
Date: 2020
Sponsoring organization: Missouri Office of Rural Health and Primary Care
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Striving for Birth Equity: Family Medicine's Role in Overcoming Disparities in Maternal Morbidity and Mortality
Policy position paper examining disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality, and offering recommendations for ways in which family physicians, educators, and policy makers can facilitate and advocate for change. Mentions rural throughout.
Date: 2020
Sponsoring organization: American Academy of Family Physicians
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Associations Between Stopping Prescriptions for Opioids, Length of Opioid Treatment, and Overdose or Suicide Deaths in US Veterans: Observational Evaluation
Highlights a study on the correlation between halting treatment for opioid use disorder, length of treatment, and death from overdose or suicide among Veterans Health Administration patients. Breaks down data by age, sex, and rural status among other factors.
Author(s): Elizabeth M Oliva, Thomas Bowe, Ajay Manhapra, et al.
Citation: BMJ, 2020: m283
Date: 2020
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Recognition and Stigma of Prescription Drug Abuse Disorder: Personal and Community Determinants
Highlights a study on the role personal and community characteristics play in levels of stigma around prescription drug misuse. Breaks down data by age, income, and rurality of the county.
Author(s): Robert Shupp, Scott Loveridge, Mark Skidmore, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 20, 977
Date: 2020
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Caring for People with Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders in Primary Care Settings
Report explores how primary care providers can best provide mental health and substance use disorder services to their patients. Discusses the barriers to behavioral healthcare in rural areas such as insurance coverage, workforce shortages, and lack of transportation, among others, and highlights the role primary care providers can play in overcoming those barriers.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 2020
Sponsoring organization: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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2020 Navajo Nation Maternal and Child Health Needs Assessment
Report documenting a Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Needs Assessment for the Navajo Nation reservation. Describes health status, healthcare system strengths and weaknesses, and uses a Navajo-specific cultural framework to discuss health outcomes in relation to environmental, community, family, and individual health. Offers data on demographics, environmental health, women's health, maternal health, perinatal and infant health, child health, and adolescent health.
Date: 2020
Sponsoring organizations: Arizona Department of Health Services, Navajo Nation Department of Health, Navajo Native American Research Centers for Health
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Supporting American Indian & Alaskan Native Communities Combating COVID-19
Reports on a virtual roundtable panel on health disparities related to COVID-19 facing American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Discusses the Indian Health Service response to the pandemic and gaps in pandemic-related services, including telehealth access, underfunded and understaffed healthcare facilities, data quality and information access, cultural literacy, and behavioral health needs. Addresses social determinants of health for Native populations, citing data from research studies and quoting roundtable panelists.
Date: 2020
Sponsoring organization: Executives for Health Innovation
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After Hurricane Maria - Predisaster Conditions, Hurricane Damage, and Recovery Needs in Puerto Rico
Report details the state of Puerto Rico's economy, environment, education, and healthcare both before and after hurricane Maria. Discusses the barriers to rebuilding various infrastructures across the commonwealth, including in rural communities.
Author(s): Jordan R. Fischbach, Linnea Warren May, Katie Whipkey, et al.
Date: 2020
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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The Opioid Crisis and the Hispanic/Latino Population: An Urgent Issue
Report highlights the opioid crisis in Hispanic/Latino populations. Details rates of illicit opioid use and prescription drug misuse, as well as overdose and death rates. Discusses measures taken in to provide treatment and prevention in Latino communities, including in rural and border areas.
Date: 2020
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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