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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare needs and services

Understanding the Rural Swing Bed: More than Just a Reimbursement Policy
Provides an overview of the swing bed program and its role as a patient-centric post-acute care solution that helps rural hospitals serve their communities. Discusses the impact of the program, reimbursement, quality measures, and more.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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History of the Swing Bed: A Look Through the Rural Rearview Mirror
Reviews the history of the swing bed program, which helps rural hospitals serve patients and the community through provision of post-acute care. Shares insights from experts who describe early implementation and key program elements that have contributed to the program's success.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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The Swing Bed Program: Impacting Patients, Providers, and Community
Brief video overview of the swing bed program, which helps rural hospitals provide patient- and community-centric post-acute healthcare. Describes the history, related policy issues, early implementation, and evolution of the program.
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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COVID-19: HHS's Collection of Hospital Capacity Data
Examines the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) implementation of the HHS Project, which was launched in April 2020 to collect national and state-level hospital capacity data. Discusses reporting requirements and challenges, use of the data collected, and lessons learned regarding the collection of hospital capacity data during a public health emergency.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Prescription Opioid Use Among Adults With Chronic Pain: United States, 2019
Study examining prescription opioid use to treat chronic pain in adults, breaking down data from the 2019 National Health Interview Survey by pain measures and demographics, sex, veteran status, rurality, and more. Discusses trends in the data to identify population characteristics among users of prescription opioids, and addresses risk of prescription opioid misuse.
Author(s): James M. Dahlhamer, Eric M. Connor, Jonaki Bose, Jacqueline W. Lucas, Carla E. Zelaya
Citation: National Health Statistics Reports, 162, 1-8
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Rural Community Pharmacies' Preparedness for and Responses to COVID-19
Analyzes emergency preparedness for COVID-19 in rural, southeastern community pharmacies and how emergency preparedness responses varied by level of rurality. Utilizes survey data from 62 pharmacists part of the Rural Research Alliance of Community Pharmacies (RURAL-CP), examining COVID-19 information source use, interest in COVID-19 testing, infection control procedures, disaster preparedness training, medication supply impacts, and demographic characteristics, comparing responses from pharmacists located in large rural town, small rural town, and isolated rural town.
Additional links: Poster Presentation
Author(s): Delesha M. Carpenter, Tessa Hastings, Salisa Westrick, et al.
Citation: Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 17, 1327-1331
Date: 07/2021
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A Cross-Sectional Analysis of High Acuity Professional Services Performed by Urban and Rural Emergency Care Physicians Across the United States
Evaluates high acuity service practices between 34,256 metropolitan and nonmetropolitan physicians offering emergency care to Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries. Discusses rural-specific factors that may contribute to disparities.
Author(s): Cameron J. Gettel, Maureen E. Canavan, Margaret B. Greenwood-Ericksen, et al.
Citation: Annals of Emergency Medicine: An International Journal 78(1), 140-149
Date: 07/2021
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Emergence of Wasp Dope in Rural Appalachian Kentucky
Surveyed 278 Appalachian Kentucky adult residents between February 2018 and April 2019 that had used opioids or injected drugs in the previous 30 days about their use of "wasp dope," a drug made from insecticides. Discusses factors associated with wasp dope use. Includes break down of study participants by level of rurality.
Author(s): April M. Young, Melvin Livingston, Rachel Vickers-Smith, Hannah L.F. Cooper
Citation: Addiction, 116(7), 1901-1907
Date: 07/2021
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Access to Lung Cancer Screening in the Veterans Health Administration: Does Geographic Distribution Match Need in the Population?
Highlights a study on access to lung cancer screening in Veterans Health Administration facilities. Examines screening rates in VA facilities in 44 states from 2013-2019. Breaks down data by state and region, as well as percentage of rural veterans screened. Highlights barriers to accessing screening for rural veterans.
Author(s): Jacqueline H. Boudreau, Donald R. Miller, Shirley Qian, et al.
Citation: Chest Journal, 160(1), 358-367
Date: 07/2021
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The Association Between Breast Cancer Capacity and Resources with Incidence and Mortality in Arizona's Low Populous Counties
Study examining breast cancer service capacity and incidence and mortality rates for low populous counties in Arizona based on CMS National Provider Identifier data. Compares rural and urban data and discusses opportunities for increasing access to preventative services.
Author(s): Adrienne B. Lent, Prashanthinie Mohan, Daniel Derksen, et al.
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 21, 6357
Date: 07/2021
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