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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Primary care

Challenges in Managing Acute Cardiovascular Diseases and Follow Up Care in Rural Areas: A Narrative Review
Explores the challenges of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) management and follow-up care in rural areas. Details access and workforce issues that make ACS care challenging in rural and remote areas.
Author(s): Sandra C. Thompson, Lee Nedkoff, Judith Katzenellenbogen, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(24), 5126
Date: 12/2019
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A Shrinking Primary Care Workforce in Puerto Rico
Discusses Puerto Rico's aging primary care workforce and concerns about the number of healthcare professionals who have left the island following the 2017 hurricane and the relatively low recruitment and retention rate for graduates of Puerto Rico's residency programs. Features statistics showing primary care physician age distribution in Puerto Rico compared with the rest of the United States in 2018.
Author(s): Elizabeth Wilkinson, David Killeen, Gabriel José Pérez-López, Yalda Jabbarpour
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: Robert Graham Center
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Diabetes Prevention Program Sites Compared With Diabetes Prevalence and Ratio of Primary Care Physicians in Texas
Discusses partnerships between the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and state organizations to provide type 2 diabetes prevention education by increasing access to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognized Diabetes Prevention Programs (DPPs). Offers state maps that identify the county locations of DPPs in comparison to diagnosed diabetes prevalence and the ratio of primary care physicians per 100,000 residents.
Author(s): Emily Peterson Johnson, Melissa Dunn, Maria Cooper, Nimisha Bhakta
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 16
Date: 12/2019
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Issue Brief: Integrated Behavioral Health is High-value Care
Highlights the advantages of behavioral health integration. Addresses costs and healthcare outcomes and presents several models for integration in healthcare settings.
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Veterans Health Care: Services for Substance Use Disorders, and Efforts to Address Access Issues in Rural Areas
Identifies and compares the differences in the number of veterans, and the expenditures for veterans receiving substance use disorder (SUD) services, and specialty SUD services in rural and urban areas. Veterans Health Administration (VHA) policies were reviewed, interviews were conducted with agency officials, and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) data from 2014 to 2018 was analyzed to develop the report.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Office-Based Spirometry: Key to Diagnosing Rural COPD Patients
Describes the use of spirometry in the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Provides an overview of required equipment, staffing needs, and interpretation for rural offices interested in offering spirometry. Features a West Virginia Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) pulmonary rehabilitation program.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Diagnosing the Rural COPD Patient: Ask About Symptoms, Use Spirometry
Provides insights on the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), discussing common symptom patterns associated with COPD, spirometry as the diagnostic test for the condition, and tools and resources for COPD patient care.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Behavioral Health Service Provision by Primary Care Physicians
Results of a 2019 survey of 313 physicians, examining physician medical specialty and practice characteristics, patient population characteristics, physician practices for screening and diagnosing patients for behavioral health disorders, and roles in managing patients with behavioral health disorders. Features statistics on various types of disorders, with breakdowns by rural and nonrural settings.
Additional links: Policy Brief
Author(s): Angela J. Beck, Cory Page, Jessica Buche, Victoria Schoebel, Caitlyn Wayment
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: University of Michigan Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center
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Characteristics of Physician Assistant Students Planning to Work in Primary Care: A National Study
Examines the predictors associated with physician assistants' (PAs) intention to practice in primary care. Compares the characteristics of enrolled PA students intending to practice in primary care, and more likely to work in rural practice, with enrolled PAs planning to enter other specialties. Data is taken from the 2013-2014 Physician Assistant Education Association's (PAEA) Matriculating Student Survey (MSS).
Author(s): Eric H. Larson, Bianca K. Frogner
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
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The Use of Telehealth in School-Based Health Centers
Describes the growth in number and location of the telehealth model of care in traditional school-based health centers (SBHCs), and highlights how telehealth complements the care given by onsite providers. Examines the characteristics of SBHCs' use of the telehealth model including SBHCs who exclusively use telehealth, and the characteristics of provider types, medical sponsorship, and schools and students with access to SBHCs. Discusses the implications of the exclusive use of telehealth services, and how traditional health services are expanding due to the use of telehealth.
Author(s): Hayley Love, Nirmita Panchal, John Schlitt, Caroline Behr, Samira Soleimanpour
Citation: Global Pediatric Health, 6
Date: 10/2019
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