Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Primary care

Obstetric Care by Family Physicians and Infant Mortality in Rural Alabama
Results of a study to determine whether availability of prenatal care and obstetric services as provided by family physicians was associated with lower infant mortality in Pickens County, Alabama. Features statistics including infant mortality rates, rates of low birth weight, and cumulative births to females ages 10-19, in selected Alabama counties during 1986-1991, 1993-2001, and 2005-2013.
Author(s): Jessica Powell, Catherine Skinner, Drake Lavender, Daniel Avery, James Leeper
Citation: Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 31(4), 542-549
Date: 07/2018
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Maine's Physician, Nurse Practitioner, and Physician Assistant Workforce in 2018
Presents a report on the workforce supply of physicians, nurse practitioner, and physician assistant workforce in Maine. Compares data to a 2014 report, as well as data from rural and urban counties.
Author(s): Susan M. Skillman, Benjamin A. Stubbs, Arati Dahal
Date: 07/2018
Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Primary Care: The Foundation for a High Performance Rural Health Care System
Describes elements of a robust rural primary care system. Discusses the development and maintenance of a high performance rural primary care system and workforce. Includes policy considerations and opportunities to address rural primary care and sustainability.
Author(s): Keith J. Mueller, Charlie Alfero, Andrew F. Coburn, et al.
Date: 07/2018
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Mapping Our Way to Success: Wisconsin's Physician Workforce, 2018 Healthcare Workforce Report
Profiles physicians in Wisconsin and offers projections for the primary care physician workforce into the year 2035 by analyzing additional data, such as the supply of physicians from medical schools, Graduate Medical Education (GME) training, and recruitment. Discusses the expected physician workforce need in rural communities. Includes statistics on Wisconsin physicians by rural-urban community area (RUCA) categories and specialty and other county-level data. See WCMEW's 2016 report for information on new or expanded family medicine, psychiatry, and general surgery programs.
Additional links: Issue Brief
Date: 07/2018
Sponsoring organization: Wisconsin Council on Medical Education and Workforce
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Integrating Responses at the Intersection of Opioid Use Disorder and Infectious Disease Epidemics: Proceedings of a Workshop
Features the proceedings of a public workshop on the relationship between the opioid epidemic and the spread of infectious diseases. Presents research and policy options, such as integrating infectious disease treatment into opioid treatment and prevention efforts, as well as exploring the role of law enforcement. Discusses barriers to treatment and prevention in rural areas.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 07/2018
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Primary Care Workforce Facts and Stats No. 3: The Distribution of the U.S. Primary Care Workforce
Describes the primary care workforce, including physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Provides statistics on the geographic distribution of the primary care workforce. Compares the primary care workforce distribution with specialty physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants.
Date: 07/2018
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Quantifying Disparities in Accessibility and Availability of Pediatric Primary Care across Multiple States with Implications for Targeted Interventions
Examines disparities in accessing pediatric primary care for rural and urban communities and children with public versus private insurance. Uses data on accessibility and availability for children in 7 states: California, Georgia, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Discusses the policy implications of the findings both generally and for the states studied.
Author(s): Monica Gentili, Pravara Harati, Nicoleta Serban, Jean O'Connor, Julie Swann
Citation: Health Services Research, 53(3), 1458-1477
Date: 06/2018
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Medicaid Expansion and Community Health Centers: Care Quality and Service Use Increased for Rural Patients
Reports on a study to assess the impact of Medicaid expansion on quality of care and insurance coverage in rural and urban community health centers (CHCs), and to examine the impact of expansion on the volume of healthcare services provided by CHCs. Uses data from the 2011-15 or 2012-15 Uniform Data System collected by the Bureau of Primary Health Care of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
Author(s): Megan B. Cole, Brad Wright, Ira B. Wilson, Omar Galárraga, Amal N. Trivedi
Citation: Health Affairs, 37(6), 900-907
Date: 06/2018
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Applying the Principles for Digital Development: Case Study of a Smartphone App to Support Collaborative Care for Rural Patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder or Bipolar Disorder
Examines ways of incorporating a patient-provider mobile health (mHealth) platform to support the delivery of primary care based mental health services in rural patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or bipolar disorder.
Author(s): Amy M. Bauer, Sarah Hodsdon, Jared M. Bechtel, John C. Fortney
Citation: Journal of Medical Internet Research, 20(6), e10048
Date: 06/2018
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Strategies for Expanding Primary Care Capacity in California
Addresses the need to improve the diversity, geographic distribution, and supply of primary care providers in California. Focuses on the education pipeline, recruitment and retention, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, and using data to inform workforce strategies.
Author(s): Janet Coffman, Kris Himmerick
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: Healthforce Center at UCSF
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