Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare needs and services

MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System, June 2021
Evaluates Medicare payment issues and offers recommendations to the U.S. Congress. Chapter 5 presents an interim report on Medicare beneficiaries' access to care in rural areas. Also includes chapters on Medicare Advantage benchmark policy, alternative payment models, private equity and Medicare, the skilled nursing facility value-based purchasing program, indirect medical education payments, Medicare coverage of vaccines, separately payable drugs in the hospital outpatient prospective payment system, clinical laboratory fee schedule payment rates, and the relationship between clinician services and other Medicare services.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details
COVID-19-Related Hospitalizations in 13 States, by Patient Location, 2020
Presents data on COVID-19-related hospitalizations in 13 states from April to September 2020. Examines the differences in monthly hospitalizations by the metropolitan status of the patient location. Includes statistics on the average length of stay for COVID-19-related hospitalizations on in-hospital mortality. Compares this data with hospitalization data from the same states during April-September 2019.
Author(s): Pamela L. Owens
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details
Faith in Recovery Coalition Offers Hope for Opioid Use Disorder in Fayette County, Ohio
Highlights the Pathways to Recovery program, which works to address opioid use disorder in rural Ohio. Efforts include educating providers and law enforcement, overdose prevention, harm reduction, and recovery support from Peer Support Specialists.
Author(s): Kathryn Rutz
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Demographic Factors Associated With Non-Guideline-Based Treatment of Kidney Cancer in the United States
Results of a study of 158,455 kidney patients, based on data from the National Cancer Database for the years 2010-2017. Examines whether demographic factors are associated with deviation from guideline-based treatment of kidney cancer. Features statistics with breakdowns by metropolitan, urban, and rural location of patients.
Author(s): Jeffrey M. Howard, Karabi Nandy, Solomon L. Woldu, Vitaly Margulis
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(6)
Date: 06/2021
view details
Telehealth for the Treatment of Serious Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders
Evidence-based resource guide examining telehealth initiatives to treat serious mental illness (SMI) and substance use disorders (SUD) based on published research. Topics cover effectiveness of telehealth modalities, implementation of evidence-based practices, examples of telehealth treatment programs, and evaluation resources. Discusses rural-specific concerns throughout the guide.
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
view details
Partnership Forum: The Role of Research in the Transformation of Veterans Affairs Community Care
Discusses how research has shaped the Veterans Affairs' Office of Community Care since its inception in 2015. Highlights the effect research has had on care coordination, quality of care, and network adequacy, among other measures, for all veterans including those in rural areas.
Author(s): Michelle A. Mengeling, Kristin M. Mattocks, Denise M. Hynes, et al.
Citation: Medical Care, 59, (6, Suppl3), 232-241
Date: 06/2021
view details
COVID-19 Vaccines: Audience Insights & Messaging Guidance for Rural Communities
Examines rural residents' perspectives and concerns about vaccines, so that business leaders can respond to employee questions and effectively share vaccine facts. Includes suggested messages and links for additional resources.
Additional links: A Checklist for Rural Employers: Making it Easier for Employees & Workers to get Vaccinated
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: Health Action Alliance
view details
Quality Time: Sharing PIE - Using "Small Data" to Drive Big Improvements
Podcast episode exploring how two Critical Access Hospital (CAH) leaders utilize data for quality improvement. Discusses how different kinds of data have informed quality improvement initiatives and considerations for analyzing data in low-volume contexts.
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: Stratis Health
view details
National Health Service Corps: Program Directs Funding to Areas with Greatest Provider Shortages
Provides an overview of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) programs. Examines data for fiscal year 2020 on the number of NHSC providers and where they served, the number and characteristics of applicants that did not receive funding, the number of NHSC sites with vacancies, and information about the effectiveness of NHSC programs at alleviating provider shortages.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Patterns in COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage, by Social Vulnerability and Urbanicity — United States, December 14, 2020–May 1, 2021
Examines vaccination coverage by rurality and social vulnerability. Includes data for metropolitan and nonmetro areas for four levels of social vulnerability and by type of vulnerability, based on the CDC social vulnerability index (SVI).
Author(s): Vaughn Barry, Sharoda Dasgupta, Daniel L. Weller, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 70(22), 818-824
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details