Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Primary care

Planning, Conducting and Leveraging Primary Care Office Needs Assessments
Issue brief highlighting components unique to primary care offices (PCOs) and offering resources on promising practices. Intended to build knowledge regarding PCO needs assessment.
Citation: NOSORH Issue Brief, 1(3)
Date: 07/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
view details

The Role of Primary Care in Improving Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment for Rural Medicaid Enrollees with Opioid Use Disorder
Examines the utilization of primary care among rural Medicaid enrollees in rural Pennsylvania diagnosed with an opioid use disorder (OUD). Describes the relationship between primary care utilization, distance to a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) prescriber, and MAT utilization.
Author(s): Evan S. Cole, Ellen DiDomenico, Gerald Cochran, et al.
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 34(6), 936-943
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
view details

Data Report: 2018 Indiana Physician Assistant Licensure Survey
Provides demographic and practice characteristics of the Indiana physician assistant (PA) workforce as well as supply and distribution information, intended to improve the quality and accessibility to primary care. Features statistics including county-level PA geographic distribution with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Author(s): Analise Dickinson, Sierra Vaughn, Hannah Maxey
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy
view details

Policy Analysis: Improving Access to Care for New Jersey
Report details the state of healthcare access and health outcomes in New Jersey. Features county-level data and highlights rural and underserved areas.
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: New Jersey Collaborating Center for Nursing
view details

3 Questions to Integrate Substance Use Disorder Services into Primary Care
Fact sheet providing examples of tools and potential mentoring opportunities for providing substance use disorder treatment services in rural areas.
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
view details

MedPAC Report to the Congress: Medicare and the Health Care Delivery System, June 2019
Evaluates Medicare payment issues and offers recommendations to the U.S. Congress. Includes a chapter on access to primary care for Medicare beneficiaries that addresses rural access to care and programs supporting it, such as the National Health Service Corps. Other sections of the report addressing rural concerns focus on Medicare enrollment, changes in hospice and post-acute care after implementing the long-term care hospital dual payment-rate structure, and Medicare fee-for-service spending for emergency department services.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
view details

The Doctor is Out. Rising Student Loan Debt and the Decline of the Small Medical Practice
Provides a recording of a hearing before the U.S. House Committee on Small Business regarding health profession school debt and the impact on specialization and practice decisions, particularly the reduction of sole practices in rural areas, and methods for addressing these issues. Includes testimony from representatives of the American Physical Therapy Association, American Association of Orthodontics, American College of Physicians, and American Enterprise Institute.
Additional links: Lauren Wiese Testimony, Sandra Norby Testimony, Tracey L. Henry Testimony, Video Recording
Date: 06/2019
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: U.S. House of Representatives
view details

Patient Body Mass Index (BMI) Knowledge in a Rural Primary Care Population
Results of a study to determine changes between 2013 and 2017 in rural West Virginia clinic patients' knowledge of BMI topics and weight-related risk factors, and to determine incidence of physician discussions about BMI with patients. Features statistics on patient demographics and various aspects of BMI knowledge.
Author(s): Treah Haggerty, Jun Xiang, Dana King
Citation: Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 32(3), 413-417
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
view details

The Balance Protocol: A Pragmatic Weight Gain Prevention Randomized Controlled Trial for Medically Vulnerable Patients Within Primary Care
Presents a study of a first-line weight gain prevention intervention for obese patients in central North Carolina. Explores the effectiveness of the intervention on a largely rural, uninsured, and majority Hispanic population.
Author(s): Miriam B. Berger, Dori M. Steinberg, Sandy Askew, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 19, 596
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
view details

Rural Access to Primary Care in New York State
Report highlights the state of primary care access across rural New York State. Discusses key issues and makes policy recommendations. Requires a no-cost registration to download report.
Date: 05/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Primary Care Development Corporation
view details