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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare needs and services

Evidence Brief: Barriers and Facilitators to Use of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
Report details an analysis of barriers and facilitators to administering medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) that are applicable to the Veterans Health Administration. Highlights a synthesis of data extracted from a number of selected studies from 2014-2019, as well as VA data from 2006-2019. Includes data focusing on rural areas.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration
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Implementation of Liver Cancer Education Among Health Care Providers and Community Coalitions in the Cherokee Nation
Describes an intervention in 2017-2018 to plan and implement activities to increase knowledge and awareness of liver cancer prevention among Cherokee Nation health care providers. Includes recommendations to improve viral hepatitis surveillance, increase support for strategies to eliminate hepatitis B virus, and enhance services including risk factor screening and serologic testing.
Author(s): Behnoosh Momin, Jorge Mera, Whitney Essex, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 16
Date: 08/2019
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National, Regional, State, and Selected Local Area Vaccination Coverage Among Adolescents Aged 13–17 Years — United States, 2018
Reports on vaccination coverage among U.S. adolescents by age for ages 13 through 17 and overall for 2017 and 2018. Also includes data on vaccination coverage by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan residence and by health insurance status. Includes nonmetro data related to the following vaccines: Tdap (tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis), MenACWY (quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate), HPV (human papillomavirus), MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella), hepatitis B, and varicella.
Author(s): Tanja Y. Walker, Laurie D. Elam-Evans, David Yankey, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 68(33), 718-723
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Patient Experience and Function, Fall 2018 Cycle: CDP Report
Evaluates 5 new measures related to patient function and experience of care and supports using them for quality improvement efforts and public reporting. Measures focus on care coordination, particularly following discharge in order to reduce hospital readmissions. Includes Critical Access Hospitals under acute care hospitals, with exclusions for swing bed stays.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Geriatrics and Palliative Care, Fall 2018 Cycle: CDP Report
Evaluates 5 quality measures related to geriatrics and palliative care and supports using them for quality improvement efforts and reporting programs. The measures include 1) improvement in ambulation/locomotion; 2) improvement in bathing; 3) improvement in bed transferring; 4) improvement in management of oral medication; and 5) improvement in pain interfering with activity. The measures were not risk-adjusted for rurality.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Results from the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use And Health: Detailed Tables
Presents data on use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, trends in substance use disorder and mental health, and access to treatment for youth from age 12-17 and adults. Features statistics for a variety of demographic and geographic characteristics, including rural versus urban status.
Additional links: PDF Version
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Unclassified Drug Overdose Deaths in the Opioid Crisis: Emerging Patterns of Inequity
Presents a study that explores correlations between certain geographic, economic, or demographic characteristics and missing data pertaining to drug overdose deaths. Looks at unclassified drug overdose deaths and breaks down data by sex, age, and economic status, among other factors. Depicts overdose mortality data in nationwide, county-level maps.
Author(s): Andrew J Boslett, Alina Denham, Elaine L Hill, Meredith C B Adams
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 26(8-9), 767–777
Date: 08/2019
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Advancing Health Equity and Access Using Telemedicine: A Geospatial Assessment
Highlights a study on the effectiveness of a virtual urgent care (VUC) program in expanding healthcare access and addressing health equity in rural populations in North Carolina. Compares rural versus urban areas and breaks down data by rates of poverty, Medicare and Medicaid enrollment, and broadband access, among other measures.
Author(s): Saif Khairat, Timothy Haithcoat, Songzi Liu, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 26(8-9), 796–805
Date: 08/2019
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Developing Risk-Adjusted Avoidable Hospitalizations and Emergency Department Visits Quality Measures: Final Report
Defines avoidable hospitalization (AH) and avoidable emergency department (ED) visits (AVs) and summarizes the development of a model for calculating expected AH and AV rates using Medicare claims data. Seeks to inform Medicare quality payment models and target areas for quality improvement. Table 3-10 includes AH and AV risk-standardized rates for a number of rural market areas.
Author(s): Zhanlian Feng, Benjamin Silver, Micah Segelman, et al.
Date: 08/2019
Sponsoring organizations: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, RTI International
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Hospital Utilization Among Rural Children Served by Pediatric Neurology Telemedicine Clinics
Compares rates of emergency department visits and hospital admissions at a California academic children's hospital with similar groups of patients who received outpatient pediatric neurology care at remote telemedicine clinics or in-person clinics. Features statistics including baseline characteristics among telemedicine and in-person cohorts, and hospital encounter frequencies and rates.
Author(s): Parul Dayal, Celia H. Chang, William S. Benko
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 2(8)
Date: 08/2019
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