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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Substance use and misuse

Expanded Naloxone Distribution to Reduce Rural Opioid Overdose Mortality
Discusses a study on the effect community-based and pharmacy-initiated naloxone distribution has had on rates of rural opioid overdose mortality. Highlights an intervention that expands naloxone access points in rural communities and pharmacies in addition to traditional provider-based treatment.
Date: 05/2022
Sponsoring organization: University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction
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Exploring the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Syringe Services Programs in Rural Kentucky
Describes ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic affected syringe services programs (SSP) operations, using data from interviews conducted in 2020 with 18 people involved in SSP implementation in rural Kentucky counties.
Author(s): Jennifer L. Glick, Suzanne M. Grieb, Samantha J. Harris, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 19(47)
Date: 05/2022
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Vermont: A Health-Focused Landscape Analysis
Chartbook examining population health and healthcare access in Vermont, identifying strengths and assets as well as opportunities for improvement. Features demographics and statistics on quality of care, health outcomes, health behaviors, and mortality rates and causes, with breakdowns by rural and urban counties. Includes maps showing locations of Health Professional Shortage Areas, substance use treatment facilities, Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and hospitals.
Author(s): Katherine Ahrens, Amanda Burgess, Carly Milkowski, et al.
Date: 04/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Maine Rural Health Research Center, Northern Border Regional Commission
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New York: A Health-Focused Landscape Analysis
Chartbook examining population health and healthcare access in New York, identifying strengths and assets as well as opportunities for improvement. Features demographics and statistics on quality of care, health outcomes, health behaviors, and mortality rates and causes, with breakdowns by rural and urban counties. Includes maps showing locations of Health Professional Shortage Areas, substance use treatment facilities, Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and hospitals.
Author(s): Katherine Ahrens, Amanda Burgess, Carly Milkowski, et al.
Date: 04/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Maine Rural Health Research Center, Northern Border Regional Commission
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Maine: A Health-Focused Landscape Analysis
Chartbook examining population health and healthcare access in Maine, identifying strengths and assets as well as opportunities for improvement. Features demographics and statistics on quality of care, health outcomes, health behaviors, and mortality rates and causes, with breakdowns by rural and urban counties. Includes maps showing locations of Health Professional Shortage Areas, substance use treatment facilities, Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and hospitals.
Author(s): Katherine Ahrens, Amanda Burgess, Carly Milkowski, et al.
Date: 04/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Maine Rural Health Research Center, Northern Border Regional Commission
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The Northern Border Region: A Health-Focused Landscape Analysis
Chartbook examining population health and healthcare access for Maine, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont, and for the region overall. Identifies strengths and assets of the Northern Border region states, as well as opportunities for improvement. Features demographics and statistics on quality of care, health outcomes, health behaviors, mortality rates and causes, Health Professional Shortage Areas, telehealth policies, and telehealth grants awarded from 2018-2021. Includes maps showing locations of substance use treatment facilities, Rural Health Clinics, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and hospitals.
Author(s): Katherine Ahrens, Amanda Burgess, Carly Milkowski, et al.
Date: 04/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Maine Rural Health Research Center, Northern Border Regional Commission
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Cancer Screening among Rural People Who Use Drugs: Colliding Risks and Barriers
Examines cancer screening trends related to people who use drugs (PWUD) from 37 participant surveys and 8 follow-up interviews conducted between July 2020 and July 2021. Discusses issues of healthcare access and stigma for PWUD and how these issues impact cancer disparities in rural areas.
Author(s): Wiley D. Jenkins, Jennifer Rose, Yamile Molina, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(8)
Date: 04/2022
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Structural and Community Changes During Covid-19 and Their Effects on Overdose Precursors among Rural People Who Use Drugs: A Mixed-Methods Analysis
Discusses the impact COVID-19 had on structural interventions to prevent drug overdose from August 2020 to May 2021 in rural Illinois. Reports on quantitative survey data such as drug use history and COVID-19 impacts of 50 participants and includes interview responses related to themes such as employment, housing, stigma, mental health, and drug market disruptions from 17 participants.
Author(s): Suzan M. Walters, Rebecca S. Bolinski, Ellen Almirol, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 17, 24
Date: 04/2022
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Assessment of Community-Level Vulnerability and Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
Study examining access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in relation to social vulnerability to disasters based on zip code tabulation data (ZCTA) for 32,434 counties in the continental U.S. Discusses differences in geographic access to MOUD for rural and urban areas and the potential impacts of disasters on that access, highlighting potential interventions to bolster access to treatment.
Author(s): Paul J. Joudrey, Marynia Kolak, Qinyun Lin, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 5(4), e227028
Date: 04/2022
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Oversight: The Opioid Crisis in Tribal Communities
Recording of a U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, hearing focused on the opioid crisis in tribal communities. Includes testimonies from representatives of the Cherokee Nation, the National Council of Urban Indian Health, the Border Patrol Council, and the Riverside-San Bernardino Indian Health.
Additional links: Art Del Cueto Testimony, Chuck Hoskin, Jr. Testimony, Maureen Rosette Testimony, Wayne Cortez Testimony, YouTube Recording
Date: 04/2022
Sponsoring organization: U.S. House of Representatives
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