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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Infectious diseases

COVID-19 Impacts on Primary Care Clinic Care Management Processes
Examines the relationship between COVID-19 primary care disruptions and worsened health outcomes for patients with chronic diseases. Analyzes 269 primary care clinics in Minnesota in 2017, 2019, and 2021 to observe changes in care management processes (CMPs). Presents rural versus urban clinic data related to CMPs reported on the Physician Practice Connections Readiness Survey (PPC-RS).
Author(s): Leif I. Solberg, Caroline S. Carlin, Kevin A. Peterson
Citation: The Annals of Family Medicine, 21(1), 40-45
Date: 01/2023
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Mobile Health and Wellness Project: A Binational Collaboration of Frontline Health Services to the Latino Population in the United States in Times of COVID-19
Highlights the activities and initial outcomes of the education and vaccination efforts provided by the Mobile Health and Wellness project focused on Latino, immigrant, and rural communities in the U.S. to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Preventive health services were offered to Latinx populations in areas with limited access to health services, and provided via mobile health vehicles operated by the US-Mexico Border Health Commission (Mexico Section) along with Alianza Americas, Latino Commission on AIDS, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Author(s): Cecilia B. Rosales, Hilda Dávila Chávez, Michael A. Flynn, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 10
Date: 01/2023
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Telemedicine Use and Quality of Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in the US During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Results of a study of 1,768 clinicians treating 11,801 patients with opioid use disorder (OUD), to examine the association between telemedicine adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic and indicators of OUD treatment quality. Explores medications for OUD (MOUD) prescribing and OUD-related clinical events, including drug overdose, inpatient detoxification, and rehabilitation center stay. Features statistics including patient and clinician characteristics, with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, small town, and rural location.
Author(s): Ruth Hailu, Ateev Mehrotra, Haiden A. Huskamp, Alisa B. Busch, Michael L. Barnett
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(1)
Date: 01/2023
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COVID-19: HHS Funds Allocated to Support Disproportionately Affected Communities
Describes how the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health Resources and Services Administration, Indian Health Service, and Office of Minority Health allocated funding to support communities disproportionately affected by COVID-19. Explores how five selected states - Arizona, Louisiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Washington - allocated funds from five CDC programs to support COVID-19 response efforts in disproportionately affected communities, including rural communities.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Interruptions in Routine Blood Pressure Screening Services Among Local Health Departments During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines interruptions related to preventative chronic disease interventions in local health departments (LHDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides results from 820 LHDs responding to the Forces of Change (FoC) survey from November 2020 to March 2021 regarding blood pressure screenings, staff capacity, and chronic disease priorities during the pandemic. Includes breakdowns of LHD data by type of governance, Census region, and size of LHD, including those serving fewer than 50,000 people.
Author(s): Margaret C. Cunningham, Jordan Royster, Timothy C. McCall
Citation: Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 29(1),108-111
Date: 01/2023
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COVID-19 Mortality Rates across Noncore, Micropolitan, and Metropolitan Counties by Community Characteristics, December 2020-January 2021
Explores differences in COVID-19 mortality rates across rural-urban designations and stratifications by geography, county-level sociodemographic factors, and county-level healthcare factors. Features statistics on mortality rates by rurality and U.S. census region, racial/ethnic composition, and ICU and nursing home bed density, as well as state-level maps showing mortality rates per 100,000 with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas.
Author(s): Whitney E. Zahnd, Khyathi Gadag, Fred Ullrich, Keith J. Mueller
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: RUPRI Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis
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Geographic Disparities in COVID-19 Testing and Outcomes in Florida
Identifies geographic disparities in COVID-19 testing, incidence, hospitalizations, and mortality in Florida from March to July 2020. Provides county-level maps of COVID-19 patterns and discusses how spatial analysis can inform preventative public health interventions.
Author(s): Md Marufuzzaman Khan, Agricola Odoi, Evah W. Odoi
Citation: BMC Public Health, 23, 79
Date: 01/2023
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Vaccination Coverage by Age 24 Months Among Children Born During 2018–2019 — National Immunization Survey–Child, United States, 2019–2021
Examines vaccination coverage for selected vaccines and doses among children born in 2018-2019. Supplementary Table 2 includes data for metropolitan and nonmetro areas.
Additional links: Supplementary Table 2
Author(s): Holly A. Hill, Michael Chen, Laurie D. Elam-Evans, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 72(2), 33-38
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Impacts of Critical Access Hospital Independence and System Ownership during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Summarizes findings from a survey of 155 Critical Access Hospital (CAH) executives regarding experiences and challenges responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Examines the impact of healthcare system affiliation on the CAHs' response to COVID, including the advantages and disadvantages of system affiliation and independence.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Megan Lahr, Abigail Wenninger
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Examining Rural Telehealth During the Public Health Emergency
Examines the use of telehealth visits for rural and urban fee-for-service Medicare enrollees between January 2018 and June 2021. Compares telehealth utilization before the COVID-19 pandemic (2018-2019) with telehealth utilization from January 2020 to June 2021. Describes the demographic, geographical, and technological characteristics of telehealth services that were associated with increased telehealth use. Explores the extent to which the increased implementation and utilization of telehealth during the PHE impacted the cost of patient care and provider utilization.
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS Alliance to Modernize Healthcare
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