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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare needs and services

Bringing Pandemic Science to the Classroom: Building Public Health Capacity at a Rural Kentucky High School
Examines the multidisciplinary Wastewater Assessment for Coronavirus in Kentucky: Implementing Enhanced Surveillance Technology (WACKIEST) unit created for high school students to study the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. Discusses wastewater testing, public health surveillance, and public health education.
Author(s): Sahar Alameh, Anna G Hoover, James W Keck, et al.
Citation: Public Health Reports, 141(1), 17-23
Date: 01/2025
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Sociodemographic Factors Associated with Prenatal Care Utilization in Arkansas, United States
Examines demographic factors associated with number of prenatal care visits, including data on late prenatal care and no prenatal care, in Arkansas. Utilizes 2014-2022 National Center for Health Statistics birth record data. Includes rural versus urban comparisons for select demographic indicators.
Author(s): Pearl A. McElfish, Aaron Caldwell, Donya Watson, et al.
Citation: Preventive Medicine Reports, 51, 102983
Date: 01/2025
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Opioid Overdose Surveillance Preliminary District Report: Georgia, 2023
Describes district-level fatal and nonfatal opioid-involved overdoses in Georgia from 2021-2023. Covers prescription opioids and illicit opioids, and features statistics on demographics, overdose deaths, and emergency department (ED) visits, with breakdowns by district, drug type, and year. Includes county-level maps with shadings showing ranges of opioid-involved deaths and ED visits per 100,000.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Department of Public Health
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Factors Influencing the Choice Between Multi-Target Stool DNA and Colonoscopy for Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Alaska Native Peoples
Examines colorectal cancer (CRC) screening preferences and awareness among Alaska Native people living in rural or remote areas of Alaska. Compares attitudes toward colonoscopy and multi-target stool DNA test (mt-sDNA) testing, including discussion of common barriers to access.
Author(s): Lauren A. Jeffries, Christie A. Flanagan, Lila J. Finney Rutten, John B. Kisiel, Diana G. Redwood
Citation: Life, 15(1), 120
Date: 01/2025
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Health Panel Comment Letter – Contract Year 2026 Policy and Technical Changes to the Medicare Advantage Program
Offers comments in response to a December 10, 2024, proposed rule regarding policy and technical changes to the Medicare Advantage program for contract year 2026. Discusses transparency and access to pharmacy services and prescription drugs, network adequacy, notice to providers, and more.
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Complete Streets: Policy Planning Process for Rural Communities
Discusses the planning for complete streets in rural areas, a type of accessible transportation infrastructure which allows for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians, therefore promoting safety as well as healthier and more active communities. Focuses on complete streets policy development, agency coordination, implementation, and monitoring.
Author(s): Krishna Kunapareddy
Date: 01/2025
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
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Access to Firearms and Opioids Among Veterans at Risk for Suicide
Analyzes rates of access to firearms and opioids, gun safety practices, and being provided or declining naloxone or firearm locks among 38,454 veterans at risk for suicide, utilizing 2021-2023 Veterans Health Administration electronic health record data. Includes demographic breakdowns, including rural versus urban dwelling.
Author(s): Gabriela Kattan Khazanov, Matthew Wilson, Tom Cidav, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 8(1), e2456906
Date: 01/2025
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Investigating Suicide Risk Factors Among Appalachian West Virginian Adults
Results of a study exploring lifetime suicide risk in West Virginia. Identifies factors driving urban-rural differences in suicide risk, using survey data from the 2021 Mountain State Assessment of Trends in Community Health. Features demographics and statistics with breakdown by urban or rural residence.
Author(s): Erin D. Caswell, Angela M. Dyer, Summer D. Hartley
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 6(4), 41-66
Date: 01/2025
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Current Attitudes and Barriers Among Appalachian Patients Towards Orthopaedic Surgery
Describes challenges faced by southern West Virginia rural residents in accessing orthopedic care, due to geographic and socioeconomic barriers. Uses data from 132 electronic surveys collected from patients during an appointment with their primary care provider at an affiliated outreach clinic.
Author(s): Dylan Smith, Justin B. West, Wade Smith, et al.
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 6(4), 67-80
Date: 01/2025
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Analyzing Temporal Patterns in Frequent Emergency Department Visits among Oncology Patients Using Semantic Similarity Measures
Analyzes patterns in frequent emergency department (ED) use among patients with and without cancer, utilizing 2018-2019 ED visit data of 5 rural and 5 urban Illinois hospitals. Compares patient characteristics, cancer versus non-cancer patient mix, and proximity to care in rural and urban EDs. Discusses cancer patients as a priority group for improving access and service delivery to produce better outcomes and reduce emergency services use.
Author(s): Hyojung Kang, Lloyd Fernandes, John P. Riordan
Citation: The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 89, 51-56
Date: 01/2025
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