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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

Travel Distance Study for Rural/Competitive Bid Area/Neither Rural nor CBA Census Tracts to Hospitals and Home Medical Equipment Suppliers: Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Measures rural populations' proximity to hospitals and home medical equipment suppliers in Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin in comparison with their urban counterparts.
Date: 12/2015
Sponsoring organization: University of Northern Iowa Geoinformatics Training, Research, Education, and Extension (GeoTREE) Center
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Rural School Food Service Director Perceptions on Voluntary School Meal Reforms
Results of a study using telephone interviews and online surveys to examine barriers and facilitators to participation in voluntary school meal programs such as farm-to-school and school garden programs.
Author(s): Natoshia M. Askelson, Disa Lubker Cornish, Elizabeth Golembiewski
Citation: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 6(1), 65-75
Date: 11/2015
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Is Availability of Mammography Services at Federally Qualified Health Centers Associated with Breast Cancer Mortality-to-Incidence Ratios? An Ecological Analysis
Explores associations between access to mammography services at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and breast cancer mortality-to-incidence ratios in every county in the United States using 2006-2010 data from the National Cancer Institute State Cancer Profile. Figure 1 illustrates FQHCs and breast cancer mortality-to-incidence ratios.
Author(s): Swann Arp Adams, Seul Ki Choi, Jan M. Eberth, et al.
Citation: Journal of Women's Health, 24(11), 916-923
Date: 11/2015
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Rural Adults Delay, Forego, and Strategize to Afford Their Pre-ACA Health Care
Provides an in-depth discussion regarding rural and urban adults under the age of 65 and their perceptions of the affordability of health insurance coverage and health services prior to the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Author(s): Erika C. Ziller, Jennifer D. Lenardson, Andrew F. Coburn
Date: 11/2015
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Aged 18-64 Years Who Did Not Get or Delayed Medical Care in the Past Year Because of Cost, by Type of Locality - National Health Interview Survey, 2012-2014
Chart showing the percentage of adults living in metropolitan compared to nonmetropolitan areas who delayed seeking or obtaining medical care because of worry about cost.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 64(44),1259
Date: 11/2015
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Systematic Review of Palliative Care in the Rural Setting
Synthesizes the results of an extensive search of the medical literature focused on the developments in palliative care for patients living in rural areas in the U.S. and internationally to determine where gaps in the research may occur. Suggests promising approaches including telehealth, community-academic partnerships, and training for rural healthcare providers.
Author(s): Marie A. Bakitas, Ronit Elk, Meka Astin, et al.
Citation: Cancer Control, 22(4), 450-464
Date: 10/2015
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The Rural Obstetric Workforce in US Hospitals: Challenges and Opportunities
Details a study of the obstetric workforce and access to obstetric services in rural areas. Analyzes the results of a survey of 306 rural hospitals across the U.S. from November 2013 - March 2014. Discusses possible policy and training modifications for rural hospitals based on the study's conclusions.
Author(s): Katy B. Kozhimannil, Michelle M. Casey, Peiyin Hung, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 31(4), 365-372
Date: 10/2015
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Colorectal Cancer Burden and Access to Federally Qualified Health Centers in California
Examines the geographic variation in late-stage diagnosis of colorectal cancer in California compared to distance to a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), the poverty level of the patient population, rural residence, and their access to a private vehicle.
Author(s): Brendan Darsie, Jennifer Rico, Madhurima Gadgil, Joshua Tootoo
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 12
Date: 10/2015
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OIG Advisory Opinion No. 15-13
Advisory opinion from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) concerning a proposal for free transportation services between certain medical facilities as a part of a rural, integrated health system.
Date: 10/2015
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Diffusion of Physicians and Access To Primary Care: The Role of Person, Program, and Place
Examines factors which influence physicians' decisions to move into or out of Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) and analyzes characteristics that may cause counties to gain or lose HPSA designation, using data from 2006, 2011, and 2013. Includes statistics with breakdowns such as change in physician-to-population ratio in urban, rural HPSA, and rural non-HPSA counties from 2010 to 2012, rates of inter-county and inter-state moves among physicians from 2006 to 2013, and characteristics of physicians by category of move.
Author(s): Thomas C. Ricketts
Date: 10/2015
Sponsoring organization: The Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research
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