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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health disparities

Opportunities in Medicaid and CHIP to Address Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)
Describes services and supports that can be covered by Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) to address social determinants of health (SDOH). Discusses federal authorities and other opportunities that states can utilize to address SDOH through Medicaid and CHIP, including through Rural Health Clinics (RHC) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC). Appendix B highlights examples of services and supports and the corresponding federal authorities that could be used to cover each.
Date: 01/2021
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Lessons Learned: Pediatric Tele-Mental Health in a Rural Medical Center in the Age of SARS-CoV-2
Explores a study on the use of telemedicine to expand mental healthcare access to rural children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses implementation concerns such as a need to protect patient privacy and expand internet-based infrastructure.
Author(s): Komal Satti, Olutosin Ojugbele
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(1), 260-262
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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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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Unequal Distribution of COVID‐19 Risk among Rural Residents by Race and Ethnicity
Presents a study on the COVID-19 risk in rural communities by race and ethnicity. Highlights the different issues that effect health outcomes of people of color and Indigenous people living in rural areas in light of COVID-19.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Mariana Tuttle, Katy B. Kozhimannil
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(1), 224-226
Date: 01/2021
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Being African American and Rural: A Double Jeopardy from COVID-19
Presents the particular risk rural African Americans face during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses the social determinants of health driving the disparities faced by rural African Americans and how they affect COVID-19 outcomes.
Author(s): Lakshay Sood, Vanita Sood
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(1), 217-221
Date: 01/2021
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A Pandemic of Body, Mind, and Spirit: The Burden of "Social Distancing" in Rural Communities During an Era of Heightened Suicide Risk
Discusses the potentially heightened risk of suicide in rural communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Examines how decreased access to mental healthcare, economic stress, stigma, and social isolation could increase the risk of suicide in rural areas.
Author(s): Natalie B. Riblet, Susan P. Stevens, Bradley V. Watts, Brian Shiner
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(1), 207-210
Date: 01/2021
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Caring for Miners During the Coronavirus Disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) Pandemic
Highlights the particular susceptibility of miners in the Southwestern U.S. to COVID-19. Discusses preexisting conditions, such as COPD, as well as issues related to access to care.
Author(s): Akshay Sood, Charles Pollard, Kyla Le Suer, Kevin Vlahovich, Jolene Walker
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(1), 165-168
Date: 01/2021
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Producing Insecurity: Healthcare Access, Health Insurance, and Wellbeing among American Indian Elders
Analyzes the results of 96 surveys and interviews with American Indian elders aged 55 and older in U.S. Southwest to determine their perception of fear and doubt regarding interactions with healthcare providers and IHS facilities, and the costs of healthcare services and health insurance.
Author(s): Jaramillo, E.T., Willging, C. E.
Citation: Social Science & Medicine, 268
Date: 2021
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