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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Populations

Community Health Worker Intervention Improves Early Childhood Vaccination Rates: Results from a Propensity-Score Matching Evaluation
Examines the effectiveness of community health worker (CHW) home visiting interventions in the Health Start Program (HSP) in Arizona to improve childhood vaccination rates. Utilizes the Arizona State Immunization Information System (ASIIS) database to compare vaccination uptake among children whose mothers participated in the HSP between 2006 and 2016 to a demographically similar cohort. Analyzes vulnerable populations with a history of low vaccination uptake including Hispanic/Latinx, American Indian, children of low socioeconomic status and/or living with parents with less than a high school education, rural border counties, children with teen mothers, and first-born children.
Author(s): Patrick Wightman, Kelly McCue, Samantha Sabo, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 22,1854
Date: 10/2022
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Improving Access to and Enrollment in Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)
Provides an overview of Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), including the history of the model and the recent policy landscape. Identifies challenges to the growth of PACE and offers federal policy recommendations that would address the challenges to the spread and scale of PACE. Discusses the results of the 2006 Rural PACE Provider Grant Program and policies to promote further access to PACE programs in areas with low penetration rates, including rural areas.
Date: 10/2022
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Suicide and Self-Harm in Youth Presenting to a US Rural Hospital During COVID-19
Presents a study on rural emergency department utilization and hospital admission for suicide or self-harm in children ages 5 to 17 during the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzes hospital data from January 2017 to May 2021. Breaks down data by demographic factors, such as sex and rurality, as well as length of stay and visit type, among other measures.
Author(s): Mary Arakelyan, Jennifer A. Emond, JoAnna K. Leyenaar
Citation: Hospital Pediatrics, 12(10), e336–e342
Date: 10/2022
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Personal Care Aides: Assessing Self-Care Needs And Worker Shortages In Rural Areas
Results of a study addressing the need for and supply of workers to provide personal care services in rural communities. Features statistics on characteristics of personal care aides employed during 2013-2017 with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and county-level maps showing percentages of adults with self-care disabilities and supply of personal care aides per 1,000 adults with self-care disabilities.
Author(s): Susan A. Chapman, Lillie Greiman, Timothy Bates et al.
Citation: Health Affairs, 41(10)
Date: 10/2022
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Best of ARM: Evaluating Engagement in Multisector Community Health Networks: The Case of Tribal Organizations
Highlights a study on public health systems' engagement with tribal organizations. Aims to quantify the interactions between public health systems and tribal organizations in tribal communities where tribal facilities are present. Details the factors that contribute to more engagement with tribal organizations and make suggestions to promote collaboration.
Author(s): Kelsey M. Owsley, Kyla L. Bauer, Glen P. Mays
Citation: Health Services Research, 57(5), 1077-1086
Date: 10/2022
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Impact of Concurrent Hospice Care on Primary Care Visits among Children in Southern Rural Appalachia
Explores the relationship between concurrent hospice care and primary care visits among children in southern rural Appalachia between 2011 and 2013. Describes demographic and clinical characteristics of children in hospice care in this study. Discusses the findings in relation to the children's residence in medically underresourced areas.
Author(s): Mary Lou Clark Fornehed, Radion Svynarenko, Lisa C. Lindley
Citation: Journal of Pediatric Health care, 36(5), 438-442
Date: 09/2022
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Mapping Rural and Urban Veterans' Spatial Access to Primary Care Following the MISSION Act
Presents a study on primary care access for rural, micropolitan, and urban areas after the implementation of the 2018 MISSION Act. Bases findings on supply and demand of and for primary care providers in regions of varying rurality for veterans in Oregon.
Author(s): Eliana Sullivan, Whitney E. Zahnd, Jane M. Zhu, et al.
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 37(12), 2941-2947
Date: 09/2022
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A Granular Look at Internet Speeds and Demographic Groups: Implications for Digital Equity
Research brief on geographic variation in internet speed, utilizing 2020 Census block-level data. Provides statistics on national, Southern, and state-by-state rural-urban broadband speed disparities, with breakdowns by race and ethnicity and presence of children. Discusses barriers to access, broadband, and digital equity.
Author(s): Roberto Gallardo, Brian Whitacre
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: Southern Rural Development Center
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"Sympathy" vs. "Empathy": Comparing Experiences of I2Audits and Disability Simulations
Presents results of a qualitative study which interviewed 12 participants in rural disability simulations or inclusive, interdisciplinary community planning workshops (I2Audits) designed to identify environmental barriers for people with disabilities. Compares responses to disability simulation and I2Audits, and identifies interview themes including stigma, embarrassment, empowerment, and engagement. Discusses access, awareness, and community participation in rural areas.
Author(s): Emily C. Hicks, Meg A. Traci, Karin Korb
Citation: Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences, 3, 876099
Date: 09/2022
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Examining Rural-Urban Disparities in Perceived Need for Health Care Services among Adults with Disabilities
Compares perceived need for healthcare services among adults with disabilities in rural and urban areas, especially as it relates to preventive care. Discusses difference in perceived need for care as a potential contributing factor to disparities in care access and care availability.
Author(s): Gilbert Gimm, Catherine Ipsen
Citation: Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences, 3, 875978
Date: 09/2022
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