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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Substance use and misuse

Health Panel Comment Letter – HHS Smoking Cessation Framework 2023
Offers comments in response to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Request for Information on the draft HHS 2023 Framework to Support and Accelerate Smoking Cessation. Discusses tobacco use in rural areas, incorporating payment strategies to incentivize clinical providers and health plans to address tobacco cessation, the importance of culturally competent interventions, and more.
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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The Frontier of Harm Reduction: Expanding Services for Rural People Who Use Drugs
Describes how harm reduction approaches help reduce health risks related to substance use and explains how these approaches are being adapted in rural areas. Highlights innovative harm reduction strategies being used in rural communities in Alaska, Wisconsin, and South Dakota.
Author(s): Brendan Stermer
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Evaluation of the Vermont All-Payer Accountable Care Organization Model: Third Evaluation Report
Evaluates the first four and a half performance years of the Vermont All-Payer Accountable Care Organization Model (VTAPM), which aims to assess whether scaling an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) across all payers in the state can reduce program expenditures while preserving or improving care quality. Discusses the implementation of the model, provider engagement, efforts to address population health goals; characteristics of participating hospitals, practitioners, and beneficiaries; and the model's impacts on Medicare spending, utilization, and quality of care. Describes trends in substance use disorder diagnosis and treatment for Medicaid members. Outlines challenges and lessons learned, as well as areas for future research.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance, Technical Appendices
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Factors Associated with Homelessness Among US Veterans: A Systematic Review
Examines individual-level risk factors for homelessness in the U.S. veterans population by reviewing 60 relevant studies. Analyzes factors related to homelessness such as military service, mental health, substance use, and sociodemographic variables, including the impact of living in a rural area.
Additional links: Appendices, Executive Summary, Report
Author(s): JK Anderson, KM Mackey, EH Beech, S Young, NJ Parr
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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Addressing the Opioid Crisis: A Look at the Evolving Landscape of Federal OUD Treatment Policies
Provides an overview of five federal policies that impacted the provision of opioid use disorder (OUD) treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Covers regulations related to buprenorphine medication, methadone dispensing programs, overdose prevention and reversal methods, and leveraging Medicaid for pre- and post-release from prison OUD treatment services. Discusses how state laws may limit federal efforts.
Author(s): Heather Saunders, Nirmita Panchal
Date: 07/2023
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Changes in Buprenorphine Visits in Frontier and Remote Locations: Effects of the SARS-COV-2 Pandemic
Evaluated patient appointments offering buprenorphine prescriptions in the 55 weeks before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to determine the impact of the pandemic and pandemic-era policies on buprenorphine access for frontier residents in the Great Plains region.
Author(s): Lisa M. McFadden
Citation: Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports, 7, 100155
Date: 06/2023
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Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Rural Versus Urban Veterans Health Administration Facilities
Explores rural veterans' access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) via the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system. Highlights VHA efforts to expand access to MOUD within VHA facilities and aims to identify access levels for rural veterans via the VA's Community Care program. Breaks down data by type of MOUD and by rural or urban location.
Author(s): Jessica J. Wyse, Sarah Shull, Stephan Lindner, et al.
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 38(8), 1871-1876
Date: 06/2023
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"Hopeful Forecasting": Farmers Showing Increased Interest in Mental Health Resources
Discusses a growing openness among farmers to accessing mental health resources. Shares insights from experts regarding stigma reduction and challenges that remain in addressing farmers' mental health.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 06/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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A Qualitative Exploration of Barriers and Facilitators to Drug Treatment Services among People Who Inject Drugs in West Virginia
Examines the ability of people who inject drugs (PWID) to access treatment options in rural West Virginia. Analyzes 2018 interviews with PWID regarding barriers and facilitators to treatment, such as dismissal from treatment services, need for comprehensive services and financial support, withdrawal symptoms, medications for opioid use disorder, and more.
Author(s): Abigail K. Winiker, Kristin E. Schneider, Rebecca Hamilton White, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 20, 69
Date: 06/2023
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Rural Healthy People 2030: New Decade, New Challenges
Examines survey of 1,475 rural stakeholders about their priorities from the Healthy People 2030 initiative to develop Rural Healthy People 2030. Data include tables ranking responses including mental health, healthcare access, substance misuse, economic stability, and more. Discusses how priorities have shifted from Rural Healthy People 2010 and Rural Healthy People 2020.
Author(s): Timothy Callaghan, Morgan Kassabian, Natasha Johnson, et al.
Citation: Preventive Medicine Reports, 33(2023), 1-6
Date: 06/2023
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