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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Access

A Snapshot of Racial Inequities in Human Services Programs in Rural Contexts
Examines the need for human services across rural counties and broken down by racial/ethnic groups. Provides data on human services funding per person, unemployment rate, poverty rate, access to broadband, and access to vehicles by rural Black, Hispanic, Native, and White citizens. Includes a 2018 county-level U.S. map that depicts rural counties with high needs for human services by predominant race.
Author(s): Emma Ward, James Murdoch, Neel Chakraborti
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: 2M Research, Administration for Children and Families
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Exploring Remaining Needs and Opportunities for Improvement in Rural Communities: A Focus on Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Services
Provides an overview of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program. Presents findings from interviews with rural human services providers across 8 sites with MIECHV-funded programs. Describes the experiences of rural practitioners as they deliver home visiting services in their communities. Offers lessons learned and practitioner recommendations to help inform policy and service delivery moving forward.
Author(s): Emily Brimsek, James Murdoch, Neel Chakraborti
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: 2M Research, Administration for Children and Families
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A Snapshot of Broadband Access in Rural Communities
Presents findings from interviews with human services staff to describe broadband access in rural areas. Discusses how limited broadband access is a significant barrier to social and economic well-being. Identifies opportunities to increase access to broadband through human services programs in rural contexts.
Author(s): Ashton Cain, Emma Ward, James Murdoch, Neel Chakraborti
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: 2M Research, Administration for Children and Families
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Maternal Mortality in Indiana (2022): Contributing Factors and Policy Recommendations
Discusses causes of maternal mortality and related data in Indiana and the U.S. at large. Includes information on disparities with a focus on rural areas, race/ethnicity, and access to maternal health services. Provides county-level map of Indiana showing ratio of county population to obstetrician-gynecologists (OB/GYN) specialists.
Author(s): Nidhi Arun, Vatsla Sharma, Elizabeth Thuranira
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Indiana University Public Policy Institute
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2023 Physician Fee Schedule Update
Webinar recording discusses the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Calendar Year (CY) 2023 Physician Fee Schedule and highlights how the policy changes around behavioral health and telehealth services may affect rural communities. Features presentations from representatives of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the CMS Center for Medicare, Hospital and Ambulatory Policy Group, Division of Ambulatory Services.
Additional links: Audio Recording, Webinar Slides, Webinar Transcript
Date: 12/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Staffing Crisis Casts Shadow Over Vulnerable Rural Communities: Executive Summary
Summarizes key findings from a series of surveys of rural hospital leaders conducted in 2021 and 2022 regarding staffing shortages. Discusses COVID-19 vaccination and exemptions, nursing shortages and the impact on access to care, and the effectiveness of recruiting incentives on attracting staff.
Author(s): Michael Topchik, Troy Brown, Melanie Pinette, Billy Balfour, Ana Wiesse
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: The Chartis Group
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Virginia Community Services Boards Behavioral Health Services: 2022
Report on activities of Virginia's Community Services Boards (CSBs), the state's primary mechanism for providing publicly funded behavioral health services in local communities. Includes a section on CSBs' role in providing services to rural areas. Features statistics on numbers of substance use disorder and mental health consumers, with breakdowns by urban and rural CSBs.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission
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Disparities in Patient Portal Access by U.S. Adults Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Reports on a population-based survey to determine if socio-demographic disparities exist in accessing online patient portals. Using data from the 2020 U.S. Health Information National Trends Survey, insured adults who had a medical visit in the previous 12 months were asked about their knowledge, access, and use of online medical records. Demographic characteristics of patients who were offered access, and for patients who accessed online portals are compared. Reasons for not using an online portal are discussed. Compares online patient portal use by different patient characteristics, including education, race/ethnicity, sex, age, location (metro vs nonmetro/rural), insurance type, use of internet, and quality of care.
Author(s): Akira Nishii, Celeste Campos-Castillo, Denise Anthony
Citation: JAMIA Open, 5(4)
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
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Improving Rural Health Through Telehealth-Guided Provider-to-Provider Communication
Presents the results of a comprehensive literature review to identify, summarize, and evaluate available research on the contributions of rural provider-to-provider telehealth communication and collaboration in addressing health disparities, and improving the health of rural populations. Topics cover the specific applications, effectiveness, implementation, sustainability, and barriers and facilitators of provider-to-provider telehealth in rural areas.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Full Report, Telehealth's Potential To Benefit Rural Healthcare Delivery: Infographic 1, Telehealth's Potential To Benefit Rural Healthcare Delivery: Infographic 2
Author(s): Annette Totten, Dana M. Womack, Marian S. McDonagh, et al.
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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National Institutes of Health Pathways to Prevention Workshop: Improving Rural Health Through Telehealth-Guided Provider-to-Provider Communication
Examines the effectiveness of rural provider-to-provider collaboration through the use of telehealth based on a systematic review of rural provider-to-provider telehealth (RPPT), and the results of a workshop of rural health experts. Discusses uptake of different types of telehealth, benefits of provider-to-provider telehealth for rural patients, barriers and facilitators to implementation and sustainability, and limitations of studies examining rural telehealth.
Author(s): Mary Wakefield, Jayashri Sankaranarayanan, Joanne Mather Conroy, et al.
Citation: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 2022
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
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