This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Medication-Based Treatment Among Rural, Primary Care Patients Diagnosed With Opioid Use Disorder and Alcohol Use Disorder
Explores prescribing rates of medications for opioid and alcohol use disorders (MOUD and MAUD) in primary care settings in rural and urban areas. Discusses the use of medications for treating OUD and AUD and looks for differences in utilization by rural and urban providers. Breaks down data by patient age, sex, and medication type, among other measures.
Author(s): Emily Kan, Laura-Mae Baldwin, Larissa J Mooney, et al.
Citation: Journal of Substance Use & Addiction Treatment, 164, 20933
Date: 09/2024
view details
Rural Court Perspectives on Addressing Substance Use Disorder in Justice-Involved People
Summarizes results of a listening session for rural judges and court personnel to discuss challenges and opportunities for addressing substance use disorder (SUD) for court-involved people. Highlights insights about program models, access to care, juvenile courts and family reunification, training of judges, and more.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: State Justice Institute (SJI)
view details
Oregon Areas of Unmet Health Care Need Report, 2024
Covers nine variables that describe areas of unmet healthcare need in Oregon and measure access to primary care, mental, and oral healthcare services. Areas of unmet need are scored based on variables within the following categories: availability of providers, ability to afford care, and utilization. Includes statistics and county-level information by service areas.
Additional links: Map
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Oregon Office of Rural Health
view details
Legislative Resolution 374: Interim Study to Examine the Availability of Healthy and Affordable Food Choices in Nebraska Communities
Reports on food insecurity and independent grocery stores in rural Nebraska, with data on communities' food access, factors influencing food security in rural areas, and independent grocery stores' operations and community benefit. Highlights program models supporting food access and sustainability.
Author(s): Carlie Jonas
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Affairs
view details
Designing Survey-Based Mobile Interfaces for Rural Patients With Cancer Using Apple's ResearchKit and CareKit: Usability Study
Examines the usability of mobile health (mHealth) interfaces for patients with cancer in rural settings, utilizing a survey of 30 current or postsurgery patients. Provides data on app use habits, familiarity with mHealth, and responses to specific mobile user interfaces. Discusses approaches to facilitating mHealth access among patients with limited digital literacy.
Author(s): Alyssa Donawa, Christian Powell, Rong Wang, et al.
Citation: JMIR Formative Research, 8, e57801
Date: 09/2024
view details
Diagnostic Excellence in U.S. Rural Healthcare: A Call to Action
Issue brief exploring challenges to diagnostic quality in rural healthcare. Provides an overview of the topic of diagnostic errors in rural settings, and provides suggestions related to resource and workforce limitations, access to care, care coordination and other service delivery models, and social determinants of health.
Author(s): Kisha J. Ali, Nick J. Galvez, Sarah Craig, et al.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
view details
Food Deserts in Nebraska: A Revised Methodology and Analysis
Analyzes the geography of healthy food access in Nebraska. Identifies census tracts designated as food deserts, discusses factors influencing rural food desert prevalence, and examines trends using county-level sociodemographic data and studies of grocery store and farmer's market locations.
Author(s): Gregory J. McKee, Shawn C. Kaskie
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Affairs
view details
States Could Better Leverage Coverage and Access Requirements To Promote Maternal Health Care Access in Medicaid Managed Care
Describes challenges to maternal healthcare access. Explores the provider coverage rules and network adequacy standards state Medicaid agencies have set for maternal healthcare in Medicaid managed care. Examines state oversight of quantitative network adequacy standards. Offers recommendations to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to ensure access to pregnancy and postpartum care in Medicaid managed care. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Report in Brief
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
view details
Beyond Connectivity: The Role of Broadband in Rural Economic Growth and Resilience
Reports on the economic value of broadband infrastructure for rural areas. Provides a variety of data on broadband and economic growth in rural communities and compares rural and urban gaps in broadband access. Features a broadband development case study for Beltrami County, Minnesota, which includes discussion of broadband's value for telehealth and other aspects of healthcare delivery and availability.
Author(s): Amanda Weinstein, May Erouart, Adam Dewbury
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: Center on Rural Innovation
view details
Age-Friendly Health Systems Integration into Rural Primary Care Clinics: A Journey of One Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program
Examines implementation of the Age-Friendly Health Systems (AFHS) 4Ms Framework in rural Arkansas primary care clinics. Details program aspects related to workforce training, workplace culture, and resource provision and discusses evidence-based approaches to implementation. Provides data on the AFHS 4Ms Framework's impact on patient engagement and healthcare quality for older adults in rural settings.
Author(s): Leah Tobey-Moore, Katherine Scalzo, Stacie Massey, Robin McAtee
Citation: INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing
Date: 09/2024
view details