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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Disparities in Individuals' Access and Use of Health IT in 2013
Reports on patients' use of different types of health information technology (HIT) as of 2013, prior to a federal push to expand patient access to and use of HIT. Includes data specific to rural patients' use of HIT, showing lower use compared to urban patients. HIT types included emailing a provider, text messaging a provider, looking at test results online, and using a smart phone health app.
Author(s): Vaishali Patel, Wesley Barker, Erin Siminerio
Date: 06/2015
Sponsoring organization: Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Older Americans Act: Updated Information on Unmet Need for Services
Examines older adults' reported need for home and community-based services and the potential unmet need for these services. Includes metropolitan and non-metropolitan data on food insecurity and receipt of congregate and home-delivered meals.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 06/2015
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Healthy Border 2020: A Prevention & Health Promotion Initiative
Reports on the prevailing public health issues occurring in U.S.-Mexico border populations. Identifies an agenda focused on health promotion and disease prevention, and develops a strategy for implementing a coordinated public health response at binational, state and local levels.
Date: 06/2015
Sponsoring organization: United States-México Border Health Commission
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Rural Women Delivering Babies in Non-Local Hospitals: Differences by Rurality and Insurance Status
Describes the factors, including health insurance status and degree of rurality, that influence rural pregnant women to give birth in non-local hospitals.
Author(s): Katy Kozhimannil, Michelle Casey, Peiyin Hung, Shailendra Prasad, Ira Moscovice
Date: 06/2015
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Early Versus Delayed Initiation of Concurrent Palliative Oncology Care: Patient Outcomes in the ENABLE III Randomized Controlled Trial
Examines the effects of early versus delayed palliative care, the ENABLE (Educate, Nurture, Advise, Before Life Ends) model. ENABLE has shown to be an effective telehealth model particularly for patients with advanced stages of cancer and family caregivers in rural areas. Patient outcomes reported focused on quality of life, symptoms, temperament, survival rate, and hospital and clinical care use.
Author(s): Marie A. Bakitas, Tor D. Tosteson, Zhigang Li, et al.
Citation: Journal of Clinical Oncology, 33(13), 1438-1445
Date: 05/2015
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Rural Healthy People 2020: New Decade, Same Challenges
Uses results from a nationally representative survey to identify rural health priorities from Healthy People 2020's national priorities. Top rural health priorities include access to quality healthcare, nutrition and weight status, diabetes, and others.
Author(s): Jane N. Bolin, Gail R. Bellamy, Alva O. Ferdinand, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 31(3), 326-333
Date: 05/2015
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Disparities in the Utilization of Laparoscopic Surgery for Colon Cancer in Rural Nebraska: A Call for Placement and Training of Rural General Surgeons
Examines demographic and clinical characteristics associated with receiving a laparoscopic colectomy and a rural versus urban analysis of patients who received either a laparoscopic or an open colectomy procedure in rural Nebraska. Includes data for both surgical procedures by insurance payer, cancer location and stage at diagnosis, gender, and marital status, among others.
Author(s): Kelli Gruber, Amr S. Soliman, Kendra Schmid, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 31(4), 392-400
Date: 05/2015
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An Overview of the Patient-Centered Medical Home for Rural Patients, Caregivers, and Healthcare Stakeholders
Summary of a project designed to prepare rural stakeholders to participate in comparative effectiveness research (CER), obtain baseline information to learn more about patient-centered medical homes from a rural perspective, select an area in need of CER, and create channels for sharing those results.
Date: 05/2015
Sponsoring organization: University of Kansas School of Social Welfare Center for Children and Families
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Creating Opportunity and Prosperity Through Strengthening Rural-Urban Connections
Highlights examples in which regional development organizations can benefit from linking rural regions with urban centers. Includes information on broadband development and its implication for improving access to healthcare services.
Author(s): Brian Dabson, Erin Meyers
Date: 05/2015
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
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Health, United States, 2014: With Special Feature on Adults Aged 55-64
Presents an annual overview of national trends in health statistics. Covers health status and determinants, healthcare utilization, access, and expenditures. Includes data on rural areas - see index under "Metropolitan/nonmetropolitan data." 2014 edition includes a special section on adults aged 55-64, covering health status, health behaviors, health insurance coverage, healthcare utilization, and more.
Date: 05/2015
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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