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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare needs and services

Pharmacy Accessibility and Social Vulnerability
Provides information on pharmacy deserts in socially vulnerable communities. Includes county characteristics of pharmacy deserts as well as U.S. maps showing the relationship of social vulnerability and primary care with pharmacy deserts.
Author(s): Giovanni Catalano, Muhammad Muntazir Mehdi Khan, Odysseas P. Chatzipanagiotou, Timothy M. Pawlik
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(8)
Date: 08/2024
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Somebody to Lean On: Understanding Self-Stigma and Willingness to Disclose in the Context of Addiction
Presents a study on self-stigma, or the unwillingness to disclose opioid use, and aims to identify factors that predict lower levels of self-stigma. Breaks down data by sex, age, and rural/urban location, among other measures. Discusses strategies for overcoming self-stigma.
Author(s): Qing Ma, Christopher R. Whipple, Övgü Kaynak, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(8), 1044
Date: 08/2024
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MN Health Professional Shortage Areas: Primary Care Geographic & Low Income Designations
Provides a Minnesota state map and county list of low-income and geographic primary care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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MN Health Professional Shortage Areas: Dental Geographic & Low Income Designations
Provides a Minnesota state map and county list of low-income and geographic dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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MN Rational Service Areas: Mental Health Geographic and Low Income HPSA Designations
Provides a Minnesota state map and county list of low-income and geographic mental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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Changes in Substance Use Diagnoses in the Great Plains During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Analyzed 109,671 patient visits for alcohol use disorder, opioid use disorder, or stimulant use disorder in 7 Great Plains states between March 2019 and March 2021 to report on demographic and geographic pattern disruptions in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. Includes discussion of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan residency on data and policy implications regarding access to care.
Author(s): Ahmed Nahian, Lisa M. McFadden
Citation: Healthcare, 12(16)
Date: 08/2024
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2024 Wisconsin Health Care Quality Report: Data-Driven Excellence - Enhancing Health Outcomes through Quality Measures
Provides information on healthcare quality in Wisconsin, focusing on data reporting, comparative state and national quality performance measures, quality improvement initiatives and projects, and more. Includes discussion of the Rural Health & Substance Use Support Program (RHeSUS) and naloxone distribution in emergency departments.
Additional links: Infographic
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Wisconsin Hospital Association
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How Narrow or Broad are ACA Marketplace Physician Networks?
Examines physician networks and participation in Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) and how network size impacts costs and access for patients. Utilizes 2021 physician workforce and provider network data to analyze patient access to physicians in their network, distribution of Marketplace enrollees and plans, availability of specialists, share of physicians included in enrollees' provider networks by rural versus urban location, and more.
Author(s): Matthew Rae, Karen Pollitz, Kaye Pestaina, et al.
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Variations in Caregivers' Health and Well-Being in the North Central Region: Research Snapshot
Examines the emotional and financial health of caregivers across race/ethnicity, sex, household income, rurality, and caregiving type. Utilizes 2023 data from the North Central Region and provides statistics on physical, mental, social, and financial effects of caregiving.
Author(s): Elena Pojman, Florence Becot, Shoshanah Inwood
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: North Central Regional Center for Rural Development
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Surgeon and Care Team Network Measures and Timely Breast Cancer Treatment
Presents a study exploring patient-sharing network characteristics associated with delays in treatment for breast cancer patients. Discusses factors that affect surgeon and care team patient-sharing networks that can lead to delays in surgeries and post-surgical treatments. Highlights the role rurality plays in the structure and delays within patient-sharing networks.
Author(s): Ramsey Ash, Bruno T. Scodari, Andrew P. Schaefer, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(8), e2427451
Date: 08/2024
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