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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

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, sex, 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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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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Improving Access and Provision of Preventive Oral Health Care for Very Young, Poor, and Low-Income Children Through a New Interdisciplinary Partnership
Describes a demonstration model in which dental care and education was provided by a nurse practitioner-dietitian team to 4,360 Ohio preschool children enrolled in the Women, Infants, and Children program at one urban and one rural site.
Author(s): Diana L. Biordi, Marjet Heitzer, Eric Mundy, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 105(Suppl 2), e23-e29
Date: 04/2015
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A Rural Appalachian Faith-Placed Smoking Cessation Intervention
Describes a faith-oriented smoking cessation program comprising 590 smokers in 26 churches located in rural Appalachia. Discusses 3 themes identified by the participants' evaluation of the program including the program's ability to leverage social connections, be conveniently orientated, and to provide financial support for smoking cessation.
Author(s): Nancy E. Schoenberg, Henry E. Bundy, Jordan A. Baeker Bispo, et al.
Citation: Journal of Religion and Health, 54(2), 598-611
Date: 04/2015
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Improving Access to Noninstitutional Long-Term Care for American Indian Veterans
Describes program models to expand Native American veterans' access to home-based primary care (HBPC), which provides non-institutional long-term care to homebound veterans. Overviews emerging models of HBPC and co-management developed by Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in collaboration with tribes and Indian Health Service facilities. Also includes several models that expanded HBPC access for non-native as well as Native American rural veterans.
Author(s): Betty J. Kramer, Beth Creekmur, Sarah Cote, Debra Saliba
Citation: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 63(4), 789-796
Date: 04/2015
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The Health and Well-Being of Children in Rural Areas: A Portrait of the Nation 2011–2012
Describes data from the National Survey of Children's Health demonstrating the health and well-being of children, as well as the family environment and the characteristics of the community that affect rural children and their families.
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: Maternal and Child Health Bureau
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Sole Community Hospitals: Early Indications Show That TRICARE's Revised Reimbursement Rules Have Not Affected Access to Care
Reports on the impact of a January 2014 revision to TRICARE's reimbursement for Sole Community Hospitals (SCHs), which serve primarily rural areas. The new TRICARE reimbursement rules approximate Medicare's for these hospitals. Looks at the impact of revised SCH reimbursement on healthcare access for servicemembers and their dependents. Findings based on claims data, as well as interviews with 10 SCHs and with national stakeholders. Appendices include information on SCHs with a high number of TRICARE admissions.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2015
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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