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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Physicians

December 2020 MedPAC Meeting Transcript
Transcript from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission's (MedPAC) December 2020 meeting. Covers payment adequacy and updates for hospital inpatient and outpatient services and the mandated report on expanding the post-acute care transfer policy to hospice, ambulatory surgical center services, outpatient dialysis services, physician and other health professional services, hospice services, and a status report and benchmark policy option on the Medicare Advantage program. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Determinants of Rural-Urban Differences in Health Care Provider Visits Among Women of Reproductive Age in the United States
Uses nationally representative data to investigate whether rural and urban women of reproductive age experience differences in healthcare provider visits. Features rural/urban comparisons on individual- and county-level characteristics and medical provider visits by type of healthcare professional.
Author(s): Hyunjung Lee, Ashley H. Hirai, Ching-Ching Claire Lin, John E. Snyder
Citation: PLos One, 15(12), e0240700
Date: 12/2020
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Computerized Capability of Office-Based Physicians to Identify Patients Who Need Preventive or Follow-up Care — United States, 2017
Examines the capability among U.S. office-based physicians to provide electronic reminders to decrease missed care. Includes data for metropolitan and nonmetro areas.
Author(s): Damon F. Ogburn, Brian W. Ward, Alicia Ward
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(44), 1622-1624
Date: 11/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Assessment of Changes in Rural and Urban Primary Care Workforce in the United States From 2009 to 2017
Results of a study comparing the primary care workforce and its growth between urban and rural counties or county-equivalents from 2009-2017. Features county-level maps showing the distribution of primary care physicians and non-physician clinicians, and statistics with breakdowns by provider type and rural or urban location.
Author(s): Donglan Zhang, Heejung Son, Ye Shen
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 3(10)
Date: 10/2020
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Buyback Program of Unused Prescription Opioids in US Rural Communities, 2017–2018
Describes a buyback intervention that was designed to encourage rural, ambulatory surgery patients to return unused prescription opioids to a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital. Provides data on patient characteristics as well as percent of opioids prescribed and returned during 2017 and 2018. Includes implications for public health.
Author(s): Jean Liu, Julie Franklin, Frank Gesek, Joseph Anderson
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 110(9), 1318-1324
Date: 09/2020
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Profiles of Rural Medical Educators: Conversations with our Nation's Experts on Reversing Rural Physician Shortages
E-book featuring conversations with 16 prominent educators, offering insights on training and retaining medical doctors in rural communities. Includes perspectives of current and past National Rural Health Association members and national experts on reversing rural physician shortages and ways in which to deal with inadequate funding and resources. Intended for educators, politicians, physicians, administrators, medical students, funders, and rural communities seeking to recruit and retain excellent doctors.
Author(s): Rural Medical Educator Group
Date: 08/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Special Needs in Rural America: Implications for Healthcare Workforce Education, Training, and Practice
Offers policy recommendations to strengthen rural health workforce training and improve access to healthcare in rural areas. Addresses the health and social needs of rural America through evidence-based health workforce investments in education, training, and practice. Examines disparities in health and access to care in rural areas, and mismatch in supply and demand.
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: Council on Graduate Medical Education
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Advance Care Planning: New Realities in Times of COVID-19
Examines the challenges of advance care planning, planning for decision-making in times of medical crisis, due to COVID-19. Shares insights from clinicians and others involved in helping rural patients.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Expect Delays: Poor Connections Between Rural and Urban Health Systems Challenge Multidisciplinary Care for Rural Americans with Diabetic Foot Ulcers
Investigates communication barriers between rural and urban health systems to identify factors that may be contributing to higher risk of major amputation among rural patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) compared to urban patients with DFUs. Barriers for rural providers include time-consuming referrals; poor interactions with urban providers; and data sharing issues due to multiple, disconnected electronic health records.
Author(s): Bryn L. Sutherland, Kristen Pecanac, Christie M. Bartels, Meghan B. Brennan
Citation: Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, 13(1), 32
Date: 06/2020
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Supply and Distribution of the Primary Care Workforce in Rural America: 2019
Details the supply of primary care providers in rural and urban areas in the U.S. Compares rates of physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants per 100,000 people by county across the country. Features a state-level analysis.
Additional links: State-level Analysis
Author(s): Eric H. Larson, C. Holly A. Andrilla, Lisa A. Garberson, et al.
Date: 06/2020
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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