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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Tribal communities

Crisis Communication Plan with a Focus on COVID-19
Provides guidance intended for Tribal Nations of Montana and Wyoming, and useful to other rural communities, to assist them in developing a communication plan for use during an emergency or a pandemic event such as COVID-19. Discusses the methods to establish a communication team, identification of and response to hazards and risks, impact assessment, disbursement of internal and external information, and post crisis mitigation and evaluation.
Author(s): Divya Narala
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council
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Achieving Health Equity Through Oral Health Value-based Care: A Funder's Perspective
Presents a study on oral healthcare equity and the preventability of dental caries. Discusses oral healthcare access and presents oral health data on American Indian and Alaska Native populations. Highlights a community-based program in rural Virginia.
Author(s): Parrish Ravelli, Katinka Hakuta, Trenae Simpson
Citation: Journal of Public Health Dentistry, 80(S2), S80-S82
Date: 12/2020
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Consent and Capacity in Indian Country - Elder Abuse and the Connection to Consent, Capacity, and Undue Influence
Defines consent, capacity, and undue influence in connection to the abuse of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/NA) elders. Highlights 6 pillars for evaluating capacity in older adults and gives cultural context for AI/NA elders.
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Native American Elder Justice Initiative
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Indian Health Service Facilities Made Progress Incorporating Patient Protection Policies, but Challenges Remain
Assesses Indian Health Service (IHS) facility implementation of policies to protect children from sexual abuse by providers. Identifies challenges to carrying out the policies. Also discusses barriers that might prevent staff and patients from reporting abuse. Includes recommendations to IHS to further protect patients from abuse. Recommendations address training and guidance, background checks, abuse reporting processes, and monitoring of facility compliance.
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Montana Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion Bureau: June 2018-July 2020 Progress Report
Report highlights the public health efforts in the areas of tobacco cessation, diabetes and cancer reduction, and promoting physical activity, among other issues in Montana. Compares rates over a two year span and details the programs designed to address them.
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
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Communication With American Indians and Alaska Natives About Cardiovascular Disease
Examines strategies for successfully conveying information about cardiovascular disease (CVD) to American Indians and Alaska Natives to reduce CVD morbidity and mortality among those populations. Features data and statistics on survey respondents' sources of information about CVD as well as their perception of CVD risk and perceived information sufficiency, with information broken down by location of residence, including reservations, rural areas or towns, and metropolitan areas.
Author(s): Amanda D. Boyd, Amber L. Fyfe-Johnson, Carolyn Noonan, Clemma Muller, Dedra Buchwald
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 17
Date: 12/2020
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Few Patients Received High Amounts of Opioids from IHS-Run Pharmacies
Presents an evaluation of the opioid prescribing practices of the Indian Health Service (IHS). Bases analysis on IHS opioid prescribing data, discusses the role of electronic health records (EHRs) in monitoring opioid prescriptions, and makes recommendations to improve monitoring.
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Incidence of Adverse Events in Indian Health Service Hospitals
Explores the occurrence of harm events in Indian Health Service (IHS) hospitals. Discusses the rates of adverse harm events, or those leading to prolonged or permanent patient harm, and temporary harm events. Breaks down data by hospital size and patient age and reason for admission. Makes recommendations regarding quality control and oversight.
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Instances of IHS Labor and Delivery Care Not Following National Clinical Guidelines or Best Practices
Evaluates the labor and delivery practices of Indian Health Service (IHS) hospitals and highlights instances when they deviate from national clinical guidelines. Discusses the negative patient outcomes from deviating from national guidelines and makes recommendations regarding site visits and training.
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Indian Health Service: Actions Needed to Improve Oversight of Provider Misconduct and Substandard Performance
Evaluates Indian Health Service (IHS) oversight of policies related to provider misconduct and substandard performance. Provides recommendations for the director to IHS to implement to address inconsistencies in oversight across IHS areas and facilities.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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