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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Infectious diseases

Pandemic-Era Trends in Telehealth Use among Americans with Private Health Insurance
Brief analyzing telehealth use between 2019 and 2021 for people younger than 65 with private health insurance. Discusses the impact of COVID-19 on telehealth use. Analyzes data by various factors such as age, rurality, access, broadband availability, and more. Discusses policy implications related to broadband access, mental healthcare provider shortages, costs, access, and equity. Includes both nationwide and state-by-state rural and urban comparisons.
Author(s): Beth Carter, Olivia Dean, Alex Hartzman, Luis Arzaluz, Aiden Wynia
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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Enduring Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Access, Nutrition, and Well-Being in Rural Appalachia
Examines the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on a rural, Appalachian community in Kentucky. Utilizes focus group data from 39 participants to analyze ongoing issues such as social isolation, cost of living, and food access. Discusses how these issues affect mental health, access to needed medications, and ability to purchase nutritious food.
Author(s): Kathryn M. Cardarelli, Emily DeWitt, Rachel Gillespie, Nathan Bandy, Heather Norman-Burgdolf
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(5), 594
Date: 05/2024
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Association Between Characteristics of Employing Healthcare Facilities and Healthcare Worker Infection Rates and Psychosocial Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Analyzes associations between healthcare facility characteristics and healthcare workers' likelihood of COVID-19 infection, access to personal protective equipment, and burnout. Utilizes April 2020-May 2022 Healthcare Worker Exposure Response and Outcomes (HERO) registry data. Covers facility characteristics including for-profit status, facility size, metropolitan or micropolitan location, and more.
Author(s): Jay B. Lusk, Pratik Manandhar, Laine E. Thomas, Emily C. O'Brien
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 24, 659
Date: 05/2024
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Who is at Risk Amid the H5N1 Influenza Outbreak? Characteristics and Health Coverage of Animal Production Workers
Analyzes demographic characteristics of animal production and aquaculture workers to determine risk for contracting H5N1 influenza, also known as bird flu. Characteristics include race and ethnicity, immigration status, insurance status, household income, and English proficiency in the 7 impacted states. Discusses policy measures to address health threats.
Author(s): Josh Michaud, Drishti Pillai, Samantha Artiga, Jennifer Kates
Date: 05/2024
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Facilitators and Barriers of HPV Vaccination: A Qualitative Study in Rural Georgia
Presents findings from interviews with 40 parents and young adults in rural southwest Georgia on attitudes, knowledge, and preferences related to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination uptake. Discusses challenges and opportunities related to transportation, knowledge, trust, and stigma.
Author(s): Courtney N. Petagna, Stephen Perez, Erica Hsu, et al.
Citation: BMC Cancer, 24, 592
Date: 05/2024
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COVID-19 Vaccines: Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech Use Varied By Urban, Rural Counties
Examines rural versus urban usage of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines by county. Provides data on first and second dose of vaccines, with data broken down by large central metro, large fringe metro, medium metro, small metro, micropolitan, or noncore location. Includes county-level maps showing Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech spatial usage and discusses geographic implications that impacted access to each vaccine.
Author(s): Katherine Wen, Daniel A. Harris, Preeti Chachlani, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs, 43(5)
Date: 05/2024
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Care Fragmentation and Readmission Mortality and Length of Stay Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Data from the National Readmissions Database, 2018–2020
Examines fragmented readmissions, in which a patient returns to a hospital that is different than their prior admission, and the impact on in-hospital mortality and longer lengths-of-stay (LOS). Analyzes readmission data during the COVID-19 pandemic against 2018-2019 data and includes breakdowns according to patient sex, age, income, insurance status, and health condition, as well as hospital type and large metropolitan area, small metropolitan area, micropolitan, or non-metropolitan/non-micropolitan location.
Author(s): Sara Turbow, Tiffany Walker, Steven Culler, Mohammed K. Ali
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 24, 622
Date: 05/2024
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COVID-19 Infection and Incident Diabetes in American Indian and Alaska Native people: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Examines associations between COVID-19 infection and diabetes in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people. Utilizes the Indian Health Service's (IHS) National Patient Information Reporting System to analyze incident diabetes among 3 participant cohorts: pre-pandemic, pandemic but no COVID-19 infection, and pandemic with COVID-19 infection. Discusses the relationship between COVID-19 infection and new-onset diabetes in AI/AN populations.
Author(s): James W. Keck, Mary E. Lacy, Sara Bressler, Ian Blake, Uzo Chukwuma, Michael G. Bruce
Citation: The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, 33, 100727
Date: 05/2024
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Evaluation of the Eviction Protection Grant Program: Interim Report
Examines the impact of the Eviction Protection Grant Program (EPGP) and its work to stabilize families following the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides an overview of EPGP from 2021-2023 and focuses on characteristics of EPGP organizations and households served by the program, challenges of implementing the program, and strategies and lessons learned. Includes information on EPGPs in rural and tribal areas.
Author(s): Hiren Nisar, Arpita Chakravorty, Dennis Okyere, et al.
Date: 04/2024
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
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Addressing the Spectrum of Opioid Misuse Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery in Rural Washington State Communities: Provider Identified Barriers and Needs
Highlights a study on provider-identified barriers to opioid use disorder treatment, recovery, and prevention in rural Washington State. Draws conclusions from survey data taken from July-September 2020 and features some discussion of COVID-19 on top of other pre-existing barriers. Breaks down data by role in healthcare workforce, work setting, and substance focus, among other factors.
Author(s): Liat S. Kriegel, Katherine Hampilos, Elizabeth Weybright, et al.
Citation: Community Mental Health Journal, 60(3), 600-607
Date: 04/2024
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