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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by State: North Carolina

Evaluation of Diabetic Retinal Screening and Factors for Ophthalmology Referral in a Telemedicine Network
Examines telemedicine retinal screening for diabetic retinopathy (DR) among type 1 or type 2 diabetics in rural and underserved communities in North Carolina. Discusses geographic and socioeconomic challenges that lead to disparities in screening and treatment for DR, exploring telehealth's potential to expand access. Analyzes data on patient characteristics, diagnoses, and referrals.
Author(s): Pooja Jani, Lauren Forbes, Arkopal Choudhury, et al.
Citation: JAMA Opthalmology, 135(7), 706-714
Date: 07/2017
Type: Document
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A Guide to Establishing Syringe Services Programs in Rural, At-Risk Areas
Describes the basics of syringe services programs, identifies the need for them in at-risk rural communities, and provides guidance on considerations when establishing programs. Includes examples of syringe services programs in Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana, and North Carolina. Also covers information about syringe services-related regulations and laws in select locations.
Author(s): Regina La Belle
Date: 07/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Comer Family Foundation
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Pesticide Use and Age-Related Macular Degeneration in the Agricultural Health Study
Highlights a study on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and pesticide use among agricultural pesticide applicators. Analyzes self-reported data from a cohort of workers and their spouses in Iowa and North Carolina in 1993-1997.
Author(s): Martha P. Montgomery, Eric Postel, David M. Umbach, et al.
Citation: Environmental Health Perspectives, 125(7)
Date: 07/2017
Type: Document
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Track: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Digital Health Obesity Treatment Intervention for Medically Vulnerable Primary Care Patients
Examines the effectiveness of Track, a digital health intervention, to provide obesity treatment to low-income, racial/ethnic minority adults with obesity and related comorbidities in rural North Carolina. Includes baseline characteristic data, such as gender, race/ethnicity, education, smoking status, and diagnosis.
Author(s): Perry Foley, Dori Steinberg, Erica Levine, et al.
Citation: Contemporary Clinical Trials, 48, 12-20
Date: 05/2017
Type: Document
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Identifying Adverse Drug Events in Rural Hospitals: An Eight-State Study
Analyzes adverse drug events (ADEs), or events involving patient injury resulting from medication use, and identifies ways to improve medication safety in rural hospitals. Uses 2013 data from 8 states with significant rural populations, and examines ADE rates based on hospital characteristics and across 4 main categories: steroids, antibiotics, opiates/narcotics, and anticoagulants. Companion brief lists resources that can be used to reduce and prevent ADEs in rural hospitals, including rural prospective payment system (PPS) hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Additional links: Resources to Reduce Adverse Drug Events in Rural Hospitals
Author(s): Michelle Casey, Peiyin Hung, Emma Distel, Shailendra Prasad
Date: 05/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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A Multicomponent Quality Improvement Intervention to Improve Blood Pressure and Reduce Racial Disparities in Rural Primary Care Practices
Assesses the effectiveness of a multicomponent practice-based quality improvement (QI) intervention to lower blood pressure of patients with uncontrolled hypertension and to determine if there would be a variation of effectiveness by race. Participants in the project included 525 adults with hypertension, providers and staff of which nearly 70% were African American. The study took place at primary care practices located in Lenoir County, an economically distressed county in Eastern North Carolina.
Author(s): Crystal W. Cené, Jacqueline R. Halladay, Ziya Gizlice, et al.
Citation: Journal of Clinical Hypertension, 19(4), 351-360
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
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Substance Use in Rural Central Appalachia: Current Status and Treatment Considerations
Examines the factors in rural Central Appalachia that influence substance misuse and the treatments, strategies, and interventions to curb drug misuse and improve treatment outcomes. Discusses how the combination of poverty, work-related distress, lack of healthcare coverage, and the shortage of qualified providers of substance use treatments affect the need for a multifaceted policy approach in the region.
Author(s): Lara Moody, Emily Satterwhite, Warren K. Bickel
Citation: Rural Mental Health, 41(2), 123-135
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
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Occupational Exposure to Pesticides and the Incidence of Lung Cancer in the Agricultural Health Study
Presents an exploration of incidents of lung cancer in agricultural workers due to exposure from pesticides. Draws data from the Agricultural Health Study, which surveys agricultural workers in Iowa and North Carolina.
Author(s): Matthew R. Bonner, Laura E. Beane Freeman, Jane A. Hoppin, et al.
Citation: Environmental Health Perspectives, 125(4), 544-551
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
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Rural Opioid Prevention and Treatment Strategies: The Experience in Four States
Study examining strategies for dealing with the rural opioid crisis, including prevention, treatment, and recovery services. Uses data from interviews with key stakeholders in Indiana, North Carolina, Vermont, and Washington.
Additional links: Research and Policy Brief
Author(s): John A. Gale, Anush Y. Hansen, Martha Elbaum Williamson
Date: 04/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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The Association of Health Literacy and Blood Pressure Reduction in a Cohort of Patients with Hypertension: The Heart Healthy Lenoir Trial
Analyzes the impact of a multi-level quality improvement (QI) intervention, the Heart Healthy Lenoir (HHL) Study, with a focus on health literacy to improve systolic blood pressure (SBP) control in patients being treated in rural primary clinics of Eastern North Carolina. Discusses the components of the health literacy practice and patient level activities of the QI intervention. Offers a detailed table identifying the change in SBP by literacy level.
Author(s): Jacqueline R. Halladay, Katrina E. Donahue, Crystal W. Cené, et al.
Citation: Patient Education and Counseling, 100(3), 542-549
Date: 03/2017
Type: Document
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