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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare needs and services

Characteristics of 30-Day All-cause Hospital Readmissions, 2016–2020
Examines trends in 30-day all-cause hospital readmissions among patients 1 year old and older in the United States between 2016 and 2020. Explores changes in readmission rates from the pre-pandemic period (2016-2019) to 2020. Presents data by primary payer and patient characteristics.
Author(s): H. Joanna Jiang, Molly Hensche
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Influenza, Tdap, and COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage and Hesitancy Among Pregnant Women — United States, April 2023
Examines influenza, Tdap (tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis), and COVID-19 vaccination coverage among women pregnant during the 2022-23 influenza season. Includes data on vaccination coverage for those living in rural and nonrural areas.
Author(s): Hilda Razzaghi, Katherine E. Kahn, Kayla Calhoun, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 72(39), 1065-1071
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Oral Health Among Medicare Beneficiaries in Nursing Homes
Evaluated oral health among 2,355,366 Medicare beneficiaries living in nursing homes. Highlights characteristics associated with specific types of dental issues including age, sex, rurality, and more.
Author(s): Steffany Chamut, Carla Shoff, Kristiana Yao, Lee A. Fleisher, Natalia I. Chalmers
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(9)
Date: 09/2023
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Guideline-Discordant Inhaler Regimens after COPD Hospitalization: Associations with Rurality, Drive Time to Care, and Fragmented Care – a United States Cohort Study
Examines the factors related to guideline-discordant inhaler regimens following chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) hospitalization. Analyzes 33,785 patient inhaler prescriptions between 2017-2020 according to rurality, drive time to pulmonary specialty care, and fragmented care.
Author(s): Arianne K. Baldomero, Ken M. Kunisaki, Chris H. Wendt, et al.
Citation: The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, 26
Date: 09/2023
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Implementation of Substance Use Screening in Rural Federally-Qualified Health Center Clinics Identified High Rates of Unhealthy Alcohol and Cannabis Use among Adult Primary Care Patients
Examines the feasibility of integrating electronic health record (EHR) tools into the screening of primary care patients for substance use. Discusses the process of screening 3,749 patients at 3 rural Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) via EHR-integrated methods and the potential impacts of this screening method on reducing rural primary care provider burden.
Author(s): Jennifer McNeely, Bethany McLeman, Trip Gardner, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 18, 56
Date: 09/2023
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September 2023 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) September 2022 meeting. Covers Medicare Advantage benefits and coding, the Acute Care Hospital at Home program, and the shift of some surgical procedures from hospital outpatient departments to ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs). Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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"This Is Not My Grandmother's Summer": Mitigating the Health Impacts of Extreme Heat in Rural Communities
Discusses the challenges rural areas face in helping address the impact of heat on health. Includes strategies used in rural North Carolina, Indiana, and Washington State to help inform and protect rural residents, including those exposed to heat through work outdoors.
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Will Availability of Over-the-Counter Narcan Increase Access?
Highlights state policies and recent research related to over-the-counter naloxone access. Includes information on the impact of rurality on access. Also discusses insurance coverage and impact of cost.
Author(s): Heather Saunders, Robin Rudowitz
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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State Principles for Financing Substance Use Care, Treatment, and Support Services
Provides an overview of strategies to strengthen and finance evidence-based substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and support services. Focuses on the role of public health to address SUD, the need for appropriate policy, and plans to reduce access issues and health disparities. Includes considerations and examples from rural areas.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Webinar
Author(s): Hadley Fitzgerald, Disha Williams
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Aging in Place: The Vital Role of Home Health in Access to Care
Recording of a September 19, 2023, U.S. Senate Committee on Finance Subcommittee on Health Care hearing on access to home health services and the role of home health in supporting aging in place. Features testimony from Carrie Edwards, Director of Home Care Services at Mary Lanning Healthcare in rural Nebraska, and Tracy Mroz, Associate Professor at the University of Washington and Investigator at the WWAMI Rural Health Research Center.
Additional links: Carrie Edwards, Mary Lanning Healthcare - Testimony, Tracy M. Mroz, University of Washington - Testimony
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Finance, Subcommittee on Health Care
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