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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare needs and services

The Opioid Crisis and Community-Level Spillovers onto Children's Education
Presents a study on the link between the opioid epidemic and children's educational outcomes. Evaluates community-level resources for handling the opioid crisis and how that correlates with educational outcomes, specifically in rural areas.
Author(s): Rajeev Darolia, John Tyler
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organizations: Brookings Institution, Brown Center on Education Policy
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on Contract Year 2021 and 2022 Policy and Technical Changes to Medicare Advantage and Part D
Responds to a proposed rule to revise regulations for Medicare Advantage (MA) and the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit program (Part D). Provides comments on CMS proposals regarding out-of-network telehealth benefits, updates to the quality rating models for MA and Part D plans, and changes to MA network adequacy standards. Discusses how changes to network adequacy standards would impact access to dialysis facilities for beneficiaries in micropolitan counties, rural counties, and counties with extreme access considerations (CEAC).
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Concussion in Rural America: Experts Detail Injury and Recovery of Traumatic Brain Injury
Reports on concussions, or mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI), in rural areas. Discusses the impact of these injuries, the role of support networks, TBI training for rural clinicians, rural TBI data, and management of mTBI in rural areas.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Increase in Suicide Mortality in the United States, 1999–2018
Reports on changes in suicide rates in the U.S. from 1999 through 2018. Includes 2018 age-adjusted suicide rates for men and women by county of residence for urban and rural counties.
Author(s): Holly Hedegaard, Sally C. Curtin, Margaret Warner
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Rural Health Care and Medicaid Telehealth Flexibilities, and Guidance Regarding Section 1009 of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act (Pub. L. 115-271), entitled Medicaid Substance Use Disorder Treatment via Telehealth
Discusses the benefits of utilizing telehealth services to expand access to Medicaid services in rural areas and the flexibility states have in covering these services. Provides guidance on options states have to receive federal reimbursement for substance use disorder treatments provided via telehealth services.
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Nonfatal Drug Overdoses Treated in Emergency Departments — United States, 2016–2017
Examines nonfatal overdoses for all drugs, all opioids, nonheroin opioids, heroin, benzodiazepines, and cocaine. Looks at changes from 2016 to 2017, with data by drug type, patient, facility, and visit characteristics. Includes data by county urbanization level for metropolitan and nonmetro counties.
Author(s): Alana M. Vivolo-Kantor, Brooke E. Hoots, Lawrence Scholl, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(13), 371-376
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Cross-Sector Collaboration for Vulnerable Populations Reduces Utilization and Strengthens Community Partnerships
Describes the process and outcomes of a cross-sector, interprofessional collaborative strategy to address the needs of vulnerable community members, in a rural area, who are high utilizers of emergency services, social service providers, criminal justice departments, and healthcare systems. Discusses approaches shown to reduce challenges during the collaborative process and offers insights to communities wishing to pursue similar projects.
Author(s): Lauran Hardin, Shelly Trumbo, Dawn Wiest
Citation: Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice, 18
Date: 03/2020
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Population Health in the State of North Dakota
Presents a number of measures of population health in North Dakota. Highlights data on age, poverty, and insurance coverage, among other measures, in rural and urban areas across the state.
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences
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Forging a New Frontier: Providing Palliative Care to People with Cancer in Rural and Remote Areas
Shares the results of a literature review examining barriers and challenges related to integrating palliative and cancer care in rural and remote areas.
Author(s): Marie Bakitas, Kristen Allen Watts, Emily Malone, et al.
Citation: Journal of Clinical Oncology, 38(9), 963-973
Date: 03/2020
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Fast-Track to Teledentistry - Removing Barriers to Care While Maximizing Overall Health
Details the barriers to oral healthcare access and discusses the ways teledentistry can help overcome them. Highlights the role teledentistry can play during public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and in rural communities. Presents examples of successful uses of teledentistry and provides guidance for teledentistry implementation.
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
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