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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Illicit drug use

Opioid Utilization Dashboard
Interactive map details Medicare beneficiaries using opioids, medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), and potentially dangerous combinations of other drugs with opioids by state with county-level data.
Date: 03/2024
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: Quality Improvement Organization Program
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Effects of the Communities that Heal (CTH) Intervention on Perceived Opioid-Related Community Stigma in the HEALing Communities Study: Results of a Multi-Site, Community-Level, Cluster-Randomized Trial
Examines levels of community stigma toward naloxone use, medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), and people treated for opioid use disorder (OUD), as related to different periods during the Communities that Heal (CTH) intervention. Analyzes survey data from 66 communities across 4 states by rural-urban status regarding their perceptions of OUD. Discusses implications of the intervention for rural communities addressing OUD and stigma.
Author(s): Alissa Davis, Hannah K. Knudsen, Daniel M. Walker, et al.
Citation: The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, 32
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
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Kentucky Outreach Service Kiosk (KyOSK) Study Protocol: A Community-Level, Controlled Quasi-Experimental, Type 1 Hybrid Effectiveness Study to Assess Implementation, Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of a Community-Tailored Harm Reduction Kiosk on HIV, HCV and Overdose Risk in Rural Appalachia
Reports on study design and implementation of a kiosk-based harm reduction intervention focused on HIV, hepatitis C, and overdose risk in rural Appalachia. Describes characteristics of two selected Appalachian Kentucky counties, eligibility criteria, data collection procedures, and study outcome measurement.
Author(s): April M Young, Jennifer R Havens, Hannah L F Cooper, et al.
Citation: BMJ Open, 14(3), e083983
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
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Use of In-Network Insurance Benefits Is Critical for Improving Retention in Telehealth-Based Buprenorphine Treatment
Evaluated 3,842 patients in an opioid use disorder (OUD) telehealth company to identify associations in insurance status and treatment program retention. Patient characteristic data includes breakdown by urbanicity, age, gender, race and ethnicity, buprenorphine status, and more.
Author(s): Arthur Robin Williams, Christopher Row, Lexie Minarik, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 2(3)
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
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The Influence of Transformations in Supply on Methamphetamine Initiation Among People Injecting Opioids in the United States
Discusses the co-use of methamphetamine (MA) and opioids (pharmaceutical pills, heroin and fentanyls) through interview and observation of 30 individuals in West Virginia. Explores drug initiation and supply as well as evolving cultural beliefs and taboos of drug use, including those related to rural spaces in West Virginia.
Author(s): Sarah Mars, Jeff Ondocsin, Nicole Holm, Daniel Ciccarone
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 21, 57
Date: 03/2024
Type: Document
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Perspectives on APRN Prescribing of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder: Key Barriers Remain
Interviewed 76 healthcare and industry workers across 4 states to identify themes related to nurse practitioner (NP) scope of practice regulations for medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Topics covered include access to care, rural needs, psychiatric NPs, and the nursing model of care. Discusses policy measures and other barriers to offering care.
Author(s): Susan A. Chapman, Leah Fraimow-Wong, Bethany J. Phoenix, Matthew Tierney, Joanne Spetz
Citation: Journal of Substance Use & Addiction Treatment, 157, 209215
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
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Opioid Stewardship Program Implementation in Rural and Critical Access Hospitals in Arizona
Assesses the implementation of 11 opioid stewardship program (OSP) elements at 17 Arizona Critical Access Hospitals. Compares data between the emergency and inpatient departments and analyzes trends. Discusses standardization of OSPs and both preventing and treating opioid misuse disorder.
Author(s): Benjamin R. Brady, Bianca SantaMaria, Kathryn Tucker Ortiz y Pino, Bridget S. Murphy
Citation: Journal of Opioid Management, 20(1), 21-30
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
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Factors Associated with Gaps in Naloxone Knowledge: Evidence from a 2022 Great Plains Survey
Examines naloxone knowledge in Nebraska, such as familiarity with, access to, and competency administering naloxone. Analyzes 2022 Nebraska Annual Social Indicators Survey data with breakdowns according to respondent substance use, social and demographic data, and metro versus nonmetro location. Discusses issues such as naloxone access, education, and stigma related to opioid-related overdose deaths.
Author(s): Spencer Cooper-Ohm, Patrick Habecker, Ryan Humeniuk, Rick A. Bevins
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 21, 37
Date: 02/2024
Type: Document
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Medicaid Coverage of Medications to Reverse Opioid Overdose and Treat Alcohol and Opioid Use Disorders
Report discusses access to medications for treating alcohol use disorder (AUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD) via Medicaid. Highlights policies and regulations that effect access and details Medicaid coverage in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. Features a discussion about rural access.
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Assessment of Substance Use Disorder Stigma and Strategies for Addressing Stigma in Rural Areas
January 31, 2024 webinar recording sharing results from the National Report on Rural Substance Use Disorder Stigma and Treatment Needs and discussing strategies for addressing stigma in rural areas. Includes transcript.
Additional links: Slide Presentation
Date: 01/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction
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