Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

The Development of the Agricultural Producer Barriers to Care Scale (APBCS)
Examines the reliability of the the Agricultural Producer Barriers to Care Scale (APBCS) as an instrument that tests for healthcare access barriers in rural U.S. farmers. Analyzes online survey data from 1,045 respondents across APBCS factors such as formal healthcare challenges, cultural barriers to seeking help, issues with stigma, and evidence of resilience. Discusses potential improvements to the APBCS tool.
Author(s): Noah Hopkins, Chase Reece, Nathan Hansen, Christina Proctor
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12898
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
view details
Health Equity at the Center of Rural Care
Podcast episode featuring a discussion with Terry Scoggin, CEO of Titus Regional Medical Center, on how the organization has designed a system of care to ensure equitable access to care for every patient. Highlights how the American Hospital Association's Health Equity Roadmap supported the equity initiative and influenced culture change within the organization.
Date: 12/2024
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
Caring for Pennsylvanians with Dementia and Related Disorders: An Analysis of Needs and Capacity in Rural Areas, 2024 to 2034
Examines potential demand for care of people living with Alzheimer's disease or a related disorder (ADRD) in rural Pennsylvania. Features county-level maps showing numbers of various types of care facilities and their capacity, and statistics including projections of the population aged 65+ and rate of increase from 2020 to 2040, age-adjusted mortality rate from ADRD, projections of number of ADRD cases by 2040, and impact of smoking and obesity on ADRD, with breakdowns by county.
Author(s): Dara P. Bourassa, Sara A. Grove
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Pennsylvania
view details
Indian Health Service Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2025-2029
Highlights the strategic plan for the Indian Health Service's 2025-2029 fiscal years. Features operational goals for workplace safety, cultural competency, workforce recruitment and retention, access to care, program management, healthcare facility infrastructure, and partnerships.
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Indian Health Service
view details
Enrollment in High-Deductible Health Plans Among People Younger Than Age 65 With Private Health Insurance: United States, 2019–2023
Examines privately insured adults under the age of 65 who are enrolled in high-deductible health plans (HDHP) and consumer-directed health plans (CDHP). Utilizes 2019-2023 National Health Interview Survey data of HDHPs and CDHPs, with breakdowns by employment-based versus directly purchased insurance, race/ethnicity, poverty level, education, sex, age group, and urbanization level by 4 groups: large central metropolitan, large fringe metropolitan, medium and small metropolitan, and nonmetropolitan.
Author(s): Robin A. Cohen, Elizabeth M. Briones
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
view details
A Qualitative Exploration of Factors Influencing Healthcare Utilization among Rural Missourians: "We Have to be Bleeding, Broken"
Examines factors influencing healthcare utilization in rural Missouri via interviews with 25 rural Missourians. Identifies structural, cultural, and individual factors, including discussion of financial accessibility, perceptions of rural healthcare quality, treatment preferences, and approaches to health.
Author(s): Klaudia Kukulka, Jacquelyn J Benson, Olivia J Landon, et al.
Citation: Health Place, 90, 103367
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
view details
Report on the Mental Health Program for Veterans for Fiscal Year 2024
Reports on the Texas Health and Human Service Commission (HHSC) and Texas Veterans Commission's (TVC) programs to ensure access to behavioral health services for service members, veterans, and their family members (SMVF) during fiscal year 2024 in Texas. Highlights the needs of rural SMVF throughout, and discusses services provided by the Rural Veteran Counselor (RVC) program.
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
view details
Texas Cares Rx Annual Program Report
Reports on fiscal year 2024 costs, initiatives, feedback, and future considerations for Texas Cares Rx, a prescription drug cost savings program for uninsured Texans. Pages 9-11 summarize stakeholder feedback on rural health needs, including discussion of rural healthcare access gaps and pharmacy deserts.
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
view details
Connecting Unstably Housed Veterans Living in Rural Areas to Health Care: Perspectives From Health Care Navigators
Highlights a study of VA healthcare navigators (HCNs) effectiveness in helping rural veterans experiencing housing instability access healthcare services. Explores interpersonal, intrapersonal, and community-level barriers and facilitators to HCN services.
Author(s): Kalea Jones, Meagan Cusack, Gala True, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 59(S2), e14316
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
view details
Differential Effects of a Social Work Staffing Intervention on Social Work Access Among Rural and Highly Rural Veterans: A Cohort Study
Presents a study on the efficacy of a VA program to expand access of social work services to rural veterans. Draws data from VA sites that participated in the program from October 2016 to September 2021. Compares social worker utilization by rural and urban veterans and breaks down data by age, race, and reason for visit, among other factors.
Author(s): Andrew N. Honken, Christopher W. Halladay, Lisa E. Wootton, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 59(S2), e14327
Date: 12/2024
Type: Document
view details