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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Healthcare needs and services

'It's about the Smoke, Not the Smoker': Messages That Motivate Rural Communities to Support Smoke-free Policies
Discusses the results of a series of focus groups and surveys with community activists in three rural Kentucky counties regarding the use of promotional materials used to endorse smoke-free policies.
Author(s): Ganna Kostygina, Ellen J. Hahn, Mary Kay
Citation: Health Education Research, 29(1), 58-71
Date: 02/2014
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Understanding the Rural–Urban Differences in Nonmedical Prescription Opioid Use and Abuse in the United States
This report analyzes the risk factors, including availability and access, that drive nonmedical prescription opioid drug misuse and abuse in U.S. states with large rural populations.
Author(s): Katherine M. Keyes, Magdalena Cerdá, Joanne E. Brady, Jennifer R. Havens, Sandro Galea
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 104(2)
Date: 02/2014
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Rural Veterans: A Special Concern for Rural Health Advocates
Policy brief describing the special healthcare needs of rural veterans. Offers policy recommendations to address these issues. Covers access to primary care, specialty care, physical therapy, women's health services, and mental health services focusing on traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Author(s): J. Alison Alfers, Hilda R. Heady
Date: 02/2014
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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The Evidence for Community Paramedicine in Rural Areas: State and Local Findings and the Role of the State Flex Program
Examines the role of the Flex program in supporting state Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in rural communities. Analyses the evidence base for community paramedicine in rural communities, the role of community paramedics in rural healthcare delivery systems, and the challenges faced by states in implementing community paramedicine programs.
Author(s): Karen Pearson, John Gale, George Shaler
Date: 02/2014
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Discharge to Swing Bed or Skilled Nursing Facility: Who Goes Where?
Examines health conditions of patients discharged from rural Prospective Payment System (PPS) hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to swing beds and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).
Author(s): Victoria A. Freeman, Randy K. Randolph, Mark Holmes
Date: 02/2014
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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The Future of the Frontier Extended Stay Clinic
Describes the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) Frontier Extended Stay Clinic (FESC) demonstration project. Identifies the successes and challenges, and discusses the financial sustainability of the FESC model. Includes policy recommendations and lessons learned.
Author(s): Susan Wilger, Saskia Van Hecke
Date: 02/2014
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Developing Empirically Based, Culturally Grounded Drug Prevention Interventions for Indigenous Youth Populations
Describes the relevance of a culturally grounded approach when developing a drug prevention program for Indigenous youth. Includes implications for culturally grounded approaches in behavioral health services and a case example of a drug prevention program for rural Native Hawaiian youth.
Author(s): Scott K. Okamoto, Susana Helm, Suzanne Pel, et al.
Citation: Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 41(1)
Date: 01/2014
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Maternal Health Literacy Progression Among Rural Perinatal Women
Reports on a study of the progression of maternal health literacy in low-income women who received home visits from Registered Nurse Case Managers (RNCMs) in rural Georgia. Breaks down data by participant demographics, level of prenatal and postpartum depression scores, and birth outcomes.
Author(s): Sandra C. Mobley, Suzanne Dixson Thomas, Donald E. Sutherland, et al.
Citation: Maternal and Child Health Journal, 18(8), 1881-1892
Date: 01/2014
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Rural, Suburban, and Urban Differences in Factors That Impact Physician Adherence to Clinical Preventive Service Guidelines
Highlights a qualitative study based on interviews with 29 primary care physicians from various areas in Missouri regarding barriers to following the clinical preventive service guidelines. Breaks down results by location and perceived barrier, such as outcome expectancy, patient health status, or evidence interpretation.
Author(s): Elaine C. Khoong, Wesley S. Gibbert, Jane M. Garbutt, Walton Sumner, Ross C. Brownson
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 30(1), 7-16
Date: 01/2014
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Health Care Avoidance Among Rural Populations: Results From a Nationally Representative Survey
Presents secondary analysis of questions from the 2008 Health Information Trends Study (HINTS) relating to healthcare avoidance that breaks down socio-demographic and economic data to better understand factors leading to avoidant behaviors. Compares data from metropolitan, urban/suburban, and rural populations.
Author(s): Angela M. Spleen, Eugene J. Lengerich, Fabian T. Camacho, Robin C. Vanderpool
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 30(1), 79-88
Date: 01/2014
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