Substance Use and Misuse in Rural Areas – Resources

Report to Congress: Reducing Barriers to Furnishing Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Services Using Telehealth and Remote Patient Monitoring for Pediatric Populations under Medicaid - Final Report
Details methods to reduce barriers to the use of telehealth for mental health and substance abuse disorder treatment for pediatric patients covered by Medicaid. Highlights barriers, best practices, and costs, among other measures. Features several case studies across the U.S., including in rural communities.
Date: 05/2020
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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A Cohort Comparison of Differences Between Regional and Buncombe County Patients of a Comprehensive Perinatal Substance Use Disorders Program in Western North Carolina
Presents a study on access to perinatal substance use disorder care in rural counties in western North Carolina compared to the more urban Buncombe County. Analyzes a hub-and-spoke model that aims to provide perinatal substance use disorder care across the state and discusses the barriers to care in rural areas.
Author(s): Shelley L. Galvin, Melinda Ramage, Catherine Leiner, et al.
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 81(3), 157-165
Date: 05/2020
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Virtually Possible: Using Telehealth to Bring Reproductive Health Care to Women with Opioid Use Disorder in Rural Maine
Describes a program implemented by a Maine family planning clinic, in which HIV counseling, contraception, and pregnancy testing and counseling were made available to women with opioid use disorder (OUD) through meetings with a community educator and through telehealth. Explores challenges in receiving OUD care in rural Maine and discusses findings.
Author(s): Terri-Ann Thompson, Katherine A. Ahrens, Leah Coplon
Citation: mHealth
Date: 05/2020
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Hospital Burden of Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays: Metropolitan and Rural Hospitals, 2016
Examines burden on hospitals of opioid-related hospitalizations for metropolitan, rural-adjacent to metro, and rural remote hospitals. Includes data by region. Provides detailed information by urban-rural location, including information on the distribution of opioid-related stays, bed size, and occupancy level.
Author(s): Pamela L. Owens, Audrey J. Weiss, Marguerite L. Barrett
Date: 05/2020
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Beyond Opioids: Rapid Increase in Drug Deaths Involving Stimulants
Presents a breakdown of drug related deaths involving stimulants. Features a number of charts highlighting the data, including rural and urban, regional, and national comparisons.
Date: 05/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Institute for Health Care Management Foundation
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Rural-Nonrural Differences in Telemedicine Use for Mental and Substance Use Disorders Among Medicaid Beneficiaries
Presents a study on the rural and urban differences in use of telemedicine for mental and substance use disorder treatment among Medicaid beneficiaries. Breaks down data by patient demographics, year studied, and behavioral health disorder, among other measures.
Author(s): Timothy B. Creedon, Kristin E. Schrader, Peggy L. O'Brien, et al.
Citation: Psychiatric Services, 71(8), 756-764
Date: 04/2020
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Depression, Alcohol and Farm Stress: Addressing Co-Occurring Disorders in Rural America
Offers resources to help rural healthcare providers screen farmers, farmworkers, and farm families for alcohol use disorder and depression. Discusses farm stress and covers three categories of barriers to rural substance use and mental health services: accessibility, availability, and acceptability. Includes a hypothetical case scenario to illustrate the obstacles and challenges rural farm families experience when attempting to receive care for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
Author(s): Maridee Shogren, Robin Landwehr, David Terry, Abby Roach-Moore, Andrew McLean
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organizations: Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network, Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Improving Access to Evidence-Based Medical Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder: Strategies to Address Key Barriers Within the Treatment System
Presents a study on the barriers to evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Identifies nine common barriers to evidence-based care for people with OUD, including stigma, workforce training, and financial barriers, among others. Includes rural references throughout.
Author(s): Bertha K. Madras, N. Jia Ahmad, Jenny Wen, et al.
Citation: NAM Perspectives
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Academy of Medicine
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Tackling the Trifecta: State Approaches to Addressing Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorders, HIV, and Hepatitis C
Highlights the approaches to addressing co-occurring substance use disorder, HIV, and HCV in New York, West Virginia, and Louisiana. Breaks down data in each state by gender and details considerations for rural areas.
Author(s): Eliza Mette, Jodi Manz, Kristina Long
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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The Opioid Crisis and Community-Level Spillovers onto Children's Education
Presents a study on the link between the opioid epidemic and children's educational outcomes. Evaluates community-level resources for handling the opioid crisis and how that correlates with educational outcomes, specifically in rural and underserved areas.
Author(s): Rajeev Darolia, John Tyler
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organizations: Brookings Institution, Brown Center on Education Policy
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