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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Dismantling Buprenorphine Policy Can Provide More Comprehensive Addiction Treatment
Commentary focused on the impact buprenorphine prescribing policy has on access to opioid addiction treatment. Discusses the lack of providers waivered to prescribe buprenorphine in rural areas. Includes a map showing counties that lack providers who can prescribe medications for opioid use disorder.
Author(s): Alex E. Woodruff, Mary Tomanovich, Leo Beletsky, et al.
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Academy of Medicine
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Maternal Mortality in the United States
Provides an overview of maternal mortality in the United States. Discusses the increase in maternal mortality rates and factors that contribute to maternal deaths. Includes information specific to rural maternal mortality. Identifies policy solutions, including state maternal mortality review committees, and highlights efforts in California and North Carolina to address maternal mortality.
Author(s): Tara O'Neill Hayes, Carly McNeil
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Action Forum
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Rural Hospital Closures Reduce Access to Emergency Care
Recognizes the importance of hospital and emergency care services in providing healthcare in rural communities, and discusses the current hospital closure rate. Uses federal data to compare the financial viability of rural and urban hospitals, and the availability of emergency care in rural communities. Suggests policy recommendations for improving access to healthcare and emergency care for rural populations.
Author(s): Tarun Ramesh, Emily Gee
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for American Progress
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Improving Access to Maternal Health Care in Rural Communities
Highlights the issues affecting access to healthcare for women in rural communities before, during, and after pregnancy. Demonstrates the need for national, state, and community organizations to work together to develop a plan to improve access to care and the outcomes for rural women and their babies.
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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Medicaid Expansion in Texas: Potential Economic and Employment Implications
Compares the findings of a survey of low-income adults in Texas – a non-expansion Medicaid state – with the findings from surveys of low-income populations living in Arkansas, Kentucky, and Louisiana – states having expanded Medicaid to assess the economic impact on their families and their state.
Author(s): Lucy Chen, Joy Madubuonwu, Caroline Pecos-Duarte, Benjamin D. Sommers
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Transformation Support Provided Remotely to a National Cohort of Optometry Practices
Describes the results of a practice transformation and quality improvement project for optometry practices. Compares cost-savings and emergency department avoidance data between rural and urban practices.
Author(s): Ronald N. Adler, Warren J. Ferguson, Hussein Antar, et al.
Citation: Annals of Family Medicine, 17(5), S33-S39
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
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Scaling Up Hepatitis C Prevention and Treatment Interventions for Achieving Elimination in the United States: A Rural and Urban Comparison
Details a study on hepatitis C treatment and prevention interventions for people who use drugs in rural and urban areas. Compares the results of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and syringe service program (SSP) interventions in rural Perry County, Kentucky and urban San Fransisco, California.
Author(s): Hannah Fraser, Claudia Vellozzi, Thomas J Hoerger, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Epidemiology, 188(8), 1539-1551
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
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Barriers of Colorectal Cancer Screening in Rural USA: A Systematic Review
Explores barriers to colorectal cancer screening in rural areas, reviewing research between 1998–2017 and drawing data from 27 articles. Discusses commonly reported barriers, including cost and lack of insurance, perceptions of the screening procedure, and recommendation from providers to complete screening, among others.
Author(s): Hongmei Wang, Shreya Roy, Jungyoon Kim, et al.
Citation: Rural Remote Health, 19(3), 5181
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
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Indian Health Service Human-Centered Design
Examines the requirements of a next-generation health information technology (HIT) system at the Indian Health Services (IHS), including interoperability, electronic health records, and telehealth capabilities, among others. Presents service blueprints and use cases that can be field-tested and evaluated. Publication is free to access after providing an email address.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: &Partners, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Factors that Influence Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment
Results of a study examining factors that influence access to medication-assisted treatment and substance use disorder treatment, including rural location, stigma, shortage of providers, and insurance coverage. Uses data from an electronic survey distributed to 59 State Opioid Treatment Authorities or Single State Authorities in the spring of 2019.
Additional links: Policy Brief
Author(s): Dana Foney, Shannon Mace
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Council for Mental Wellbeing, University of Michigan Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center
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