Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health occupations
Health Care Workforce: Views on Expanding Medicare Graduate Medical Education Funding to Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants
Describes the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Medicare Graduate Medical Education (GME) program. Provides an overview of current federal funding for physician, nurse practitioner (NP), and physician assistant (PA) training. Explores the potential benefits and challenges of expanding the Medicare GME program to include funding for graduate NP and PA training.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Describes the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Medicare Graduate Medical Education (GME) program. Provides an overview of current federal funding for physician, nurse practitioner (NP), and physician assistant (PA) training. Explores the potential benefits and challenges of expanding the Medicare GME program to include funding for graduate NP and PA training.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Making Community Health Workers (CHWs) Fundamental: New Research Strengthens the Case for State Policymakers to Include CHWs in Care Delivery Teams
Summarizes key findings from previous Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) funded studies in 9 states on Community Health Workers (CHWs) interventions and their effect on diverse ethnic, racial, socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds, including rural. Offers evidence-based recommendations to help state policymakers integrate CHWs into healthcare delivery teams to improve health outcomes and reduce the cost of healthcare for individuals and populations.
Author(s): Denisse Sanchez, Sinsi Hernández-Cancio, Eliot Fishman
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
view details
Summarizes key findings from previous Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) funded studies in 9 states on Community Health Workers (CHWs) interventions and their effect on diverse ethnic, racial, socioeconomic and geographic backgrounds, including rural. Offers evidence-based recommendations to help state policymakers integrate CHWs into healthcare delivery teams to improve health outcomes and reduce the cost of healthcare for individuals and populations.
Author(s): Denisse Sanchez, Sinsi Hernández-Cancio, Eliot Fishman
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
view details
State Incentive Programs that Encourage Allied Health Professionals to Provide Care for Rural and Underserved Populations
Policy brief investigating allied health incentive programs at the state level by examining their goals, policies, practices, and available data on their achievement in recruiting and retaining allied health professionals to rural and underserved areas. Nearly 70 programs were surveyed and documented that provided financial support or training opportunities for 39 different types of allied health professionals and students in return for a service commitment.
Author(s): Malaika R. Schwartz, Davis G. Patterson, Rachelle L. McCarty
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
view details
Policy brief investigating allied health incentive programs at the state level by examining their goals, policies, practices, and available data on their achievement in recruiting and retaining allied health professionals to rural and underserved areas. Nearly 70 programs were surveyed and documented that provided financial support or training opportunities for 39 different types of allied health professionals and students in return for a service commitment.
Author(s): Malaika R. Schwartz, Davis G. Patterson, Rachelle L. McCarty
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
view details
A Model for Assessing Necessary Conditions for Rural Health Care's Mobile Health Readiness: Qualitative Assessment of Clinician-Perceived Barriers
Explores organizational readiness to adopt mobile health (mHealth) technologies such as Fitbit, My Fitness Pal, and Apple iWatch, among others. Reports on interviews with 13 clinicians from different specialty areas and their perceived barriers to adopt mHealth technologies, including unfamiliarity, clinician time, and electronic medical record and data keeping. Identifies a gap between patient usage versus healthcare organization usage of mHealth and presents a needs assessment model to successfully implement mHealth in unique ways to improve rural healthcare delivery.
Author(s): Bryan Weichelt, Casper Bendixsen, Timothy Patrick
Citation: JMIR MHealth UHealth, 7(11)
Date: 11/2019
view details
Explores organizational readiness to adopt mobile health (mHealth) technologies such as Fitbit, My Fitness Pal, and Apple iWatch, among others. Reports on interviews with 13 clinicians from different specialty areas and their perceived barriers to adopt mHealth technologies, including unfamiliarity, clinician time, and electronic medical record and data keeping. Identifies a gap between patient usage versus healthcare organization usage of mHealth and presents a needs assessment model to successfully implement mHealth in unique ways to improve rural healthcare delivery.
Author(s): Bryan Weichelt, Casper Bendixsen, Timothy Patrick
Citation: JMIR MHealth UHealth, 7(11)
Date: 11/2019
view details
Oral Health Status of Low-Income Children in Pennsylvania: A Rural-Urban Comparison
Describes research examining the oral health component of the Medical Assistance (MA) program for Pennsylvania children, additional oral health programs and services, the supply and distribution of Pennsylvania dentists, and the overall oral healthcare delivery system for low-income children in rural Pennsylvania. Features statistics including the number of general dentists and specialists who were active MA providers as of 2017, with breakdowns by urban or rural location, and a county-level map showing low-income Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas by rural status as of 2018.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Lisa Davis, Kelly Braun, Myron R. Schwartz
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
view details
Describes research examining the oral health component of the Medical Assistance (MA) program for Pennsylvania children, additional oral health programs and services, the supply and distribution of Pennsylvania dentists, and the overall oral healthcare delivery system for low-income children in rural Pennsylvania. Features statistics including the number of general dentists and specialists who were active MA providers as of 2017, with breakdowns by urban or rural location, and a county-level map showing low-income Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas by rural status as of 2018.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Lisa Davis, Kelly Braun, Myron R. Schwartz
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
view details
Beyond the Numbers: Access to Reproductive Health Care for Low-Income Women in Five Communities
Highlights the key findings, major themes, and the extent of the challenges faced by low-income women in accessing reproductive and sexual healthcare in urban and rural areas. Identifies promising practices developed by providers to address barriers to care and improve access to healthcare.
Author(s): Usha Ranji, Michelle Long, Alina Salganicoff, et al.
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organizations: Health Management Associates, KFF
view details
Highlights the key findings, major themes, and the extent of the challenges faced by low-income women in accessing reproductive and sexual healthcare in urban and rural areas. Identifies promising practices developed by providers to address barriers to care and improve access to healthcare.
Author(s): Usha Ranji, Michelle Long, Alina Salganicoff, et al.
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organizations: Health Management Associates, KFF
view details
More Than a Smile: An Examination of Rural Dental Health Care in Nebraska
Explores the link between oral and total health, and identifies primary barriers to dental healthcare in rural Nebraska and efforts to increase access. Includes county-level maps of Nebraska and the United States, showing Dental Health Professional Shortages Areas as of 2019.
Author(s): Lauren Taylor, Jordan Rasmussen
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Affairs
view details
Explores the link between oral and total health, and identifies primary barriers to dental healthcare in rural Nebraska and efforts to increase access. Includes county-level maps of Nebraska and the United States, showing Dental Health Professional Shortages Areas as of 2019.
Author(s): Lauren Taylor, Jordan Rasmussen
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Affairs
view details
Advancing Health Equity Through Community Health Workers and Peer Providers: Mounting Evidence and Policy Recommendations
Reviews the results from 9 studies funded by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute supporting the inclusion of community health workers (CHWs) and peer providers (PPs) as effective participants in addressing health and healthcare inequities, particularly for diverse communities. Each study presented focuses on a distinct function of utilizing CHWs and/or PPS such as mentoring, managing chronic conditions, and navigator support for serious mental illness and depression. Discusses why payers and providers should include CHWs and PPS in a variety of capacities to improve outcomes, add value to care, and control costs.
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: Families USA
view details
Reviews the results from 9 studies funded by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute supporting the inclusion of community health workers (CHWs) and peer providers (PPs) as effective participants in addressing health and healthcare inequities, particularly for diverse communities. Each study presented focuses on a distinct function of utilizing CHWs and/or PPS such as mentoring, managing chronic conditions, and navigator support for serious mental illness and depression. Discusses why payers and providers should include CHWs and PPS in a variety of capacities to improve outcomes, add value to care, and control costs.
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: Families USA
view details
Growth and Distribution of Child Psychiatrists in the United States: 2007-2016
Results of a study exploring trends in the growth and distribution of child psychiatrists in the United States from 2007-2016, noting differences in access in urban and rural areas. Includes statistics on the numbers of children and child psychiatrists in each state, and a county-level map showing the percent of change during the decade studied.
Author(s): Ryan K. McBain, Aaron Kofner, Bradley D. Stein, et al.
Citation: Pediatrics, 144(6), e20191576
Date: 11/2019
view details
Results of a study exploring trends in the growth and distribution of child psychiatrists in the United States from 2007-2016, noting differences in access in urban and rural areas. Includes statistics on the numbers of children and child psychiatrists in each state, and a county-level map showing the percent of change during the decade studied.
Author(s): Ryan K. McBain, Aaron Kofner, Bradley D. Stein, et al.
Citation: Pediatrics, 144(6), e20191576
Date: 11/2019
view details
Promoting Maternal Health in Rural and Underserved Areas
Examines reasons for the rural obstetrical care crisis and discusses how public policy and technological innovation can improve healthcare quality and access in rural America. Includes sections on scope-of-practice restrictions and policy barriers to telemedicine's broad implementation.
Author(s): Darcy Nikol Bryan
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: Mercatus Center, George Mason University
view details
Examines reasons for the rural obstetrical care crisis and discusses how public policy and technological innovation can improve healthcare quality and access in rural America. Includes sections on scope-of-practice restrictions and policy barriers to telemedicine's broad implementation.
Author(s): Darcy Nikol Bryan
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: Mercatus Center, George Mason University
view details