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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Assessing the Impact of Washington State's Oral Health Workforce on Patient Access to Care
Examines the oral health workforce and access to oral care in Washington state. Includes information on workforce demographics, rural and urban distribution of oral health providers, and difficulty recruiting dental hygienists and assistants in rural areas. Provides recommendations, policy changes, and potential solutions offered by oral health workforce interviewees.
Additional links: Policy Brief
Author(s): Davis G. Patterson, C. Holly A. Andrilla, Malaika R. Schwartz, Lisa Hager, Susan M. Skillman
Date: 11/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
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No Wrong Door: Supporting Community Living for Veterans
Reports on several Veteran-Directed Home- and Community-Based Services (VD-HCBS) programs in 7 states. Presents a breakdown of each program and highlights challenges each program had to overcome. Bases analysis on 2 separate state surveys. Also includes tools useful to building collaborative partnerships between VA medical providers and aging and disability agencies in order to better serve veterans in their communities.
Author(s): Christina Neill Bowen, Wendy Fox-Grage, Kali Thomas, James Rudolph
Date: 11/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
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Emerging Strategies to Ensure Access to Health Care Services: Urgent Care Centers
Outlines a strategy to improve access to and the delivery of healthcare services by creating urgent care centers. Offers federal policy solutions to promote the effective adoption of the urgent care center model.
Additional links: Is the Urgent Care Center the Right Strategy for your Community?
Date: 11/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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The President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis
Includes recommendations set forth by the Trump Administration President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis to combat the opioid epidemic. Discussed plans for federal funding, prevention, treatment, education, and research, as well as the role of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice in facilitating the proposed course of action.
Date: 11/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis
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Rurality and Determinants of Hearing Healthcare in Adult Hearing Aid Recipients
Presents results of a survey comparing length of time between hearing loss onset and hearing aid acquisition in rural and urban populations. Compares data for multiple factors, including age at hearing loss onset, length of commute to hearing specialist, insurance status, hearing aid use frequency and satisfaction, and educational and occupational impacts of hearing loss. Discusses life impact of hearing loss and issues associated with seeking hearing healthcare for rural people.
Author(s): Stephen Chan, Brian Hixon, Margaret Adkins, Jennifer B. Shinn, Matthew L. Bush
Citation: Laryngoscope, 127(10), 2362-2367
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
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Measuring Impact of Broadband in 5 Rural MN Communities
Provides case studies exploring the impact of broadband investments in rural, Minnesota, including its uses for healthcare and economic development. Identifies the economic impact for each community.
Date: 10/2017
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Blandin Foundation
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Implementation and Dissemination of a Transition of Care Program for Rural Veterans: A Controlled Before and after Study
Highlights a study on the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) nurse-led transitional care program. Study uses the Practical, Robust, Implementation, and Sustainability Model (PRISM) to evaluate the implementation's ability to support the transitions of rural veterans from hospital to home.
Author(s): Chelsea Leonard, Emily Lawrence, Marina McCreight, et al.
Citation: Implementation Science, 12, 123
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
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Prescription Opioid Misuse among Rural Community Pharmacy Patients: Pilot Study for Screening and Implications for Future Practice and Research
Examines rural and urban community pharmacy patients in Pennsylvania to describe and compare patterns of opioid medication misuse. Identifies demographic and risk factors associated with rural and urban opioid medication misuse. Includes demographic statistics by rural and urban areas, such as education, employment status, and misuse behaviors. Offers recommendations to address opioid medication misuse.
Author(s): Gerald T. Cochran, Rafael J. Engel, Valerie J. Hruschak, Ralph E. Tarter
Citation: Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 30(5), 498-505
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
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Trends in Primary Care Provision to Medicare Beneficiaries by Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, or Physician Assistants: 2008-2014
Examines trends in elderly patients receiving primary care from physicians alone, physicians with nurse practitioners (NPs) and/or physician assistants (PAs), and NPs/PAs without physicians. Considered these models for delivering primary care to Medicare patients with multiple chronic conditions and Medicare patients in rural and health professional shortage areas (HPSAs).
Author(s): Ying Xue, James S. Goodwin, Deepak Adhikari, Mukaila A. Raji, Yong-Fang Kuo
Citation: Journal of Primary Care and Community Health, 8(4), 256-263
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
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Report to the President of the United States from the Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity
Report from the Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity identifying key opportunities for improving the well-being of America's rural communities and citizens. Provides recommendations to the President of the United States, focusing on five main areas: e-Connectivity, improving quality of life, supporting a rural workforce, harnessing technological innovation, and developing the rural economy.
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Interagency Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity
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