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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: COVID-19

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Associated Declines in Cancer Incidence by Race/Ethnicity and Census-Tract Level SES, Rurality, and Persistent Poverty Status
Examines the impact of COVID-19 on cancer screening, treatment, incidence, and disparities among different population groups. Utilizes U.S. National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data to compare 2020 and 2015-2019 incidence rates at 13 different cancer sites. Analyzes various cancer types across sociodemographic variables, including race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, persistent poverty (PP), and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Benmei Liu, Mandi Yu, Jeffrey Byrne, Katheen A. Cronin, Eric J. Feuer
Citation: Cancer Medicine, 13(17)
Date: 09/2024
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Lessons for Future Pandemics: Temporal Evolution and Rural-Urban Variations in the Impacts of the COVID-19 on Opioid Use Treatment
Presents a study highlighting the lessons learned from opioid use treatment programs operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Explores the impact of the pandemic on treatment services. Discusses the use of telehealth for both counseling and medication prescribing, as well as the challenges faced by patients trying to obtain treatment during the pandemic.
Author(s): Zhongyang He, Jonathan M. Heess, Travis Young, Zhen Lei
Citation: PLoS ONE, 19(9), e0310386
Date: 09/2024
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Nursing Home Certificate of Need Moratoria During the COVID-19 Pandemic Had Little Impact on Access
Analyzes certificate of need (CON) moratoria and healthcare supply of skilled nursing facility (SNF) beds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizes 2015-2021 SNF cost report data to provide information on states that implemented CON moratoria, differences by rural versus urban counties, and impact on SNF bed supply.
Author(s): Anthony Yu, Christopher Whaley
Citation: INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 61
Date: 09/2024
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Medical Visits and Mortality among Dementia Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic Compared to Rates Predicted from 2019
Evaluates actual versus predicted changes in medical visits and mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic among adults aged 66 and older with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). Utilizes 2019-2022 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) data. See table 3 for a bar graph displaying differences in COVID-related and COVID-unrelated excess mortality for selected sociodemographic factors, including level of rurality, during the pandemic.
Author(s): Kaushik Ghosh, Susan T. Stewart, Trivellore Raghunathan, David M. Cutler
Citation: BMC Geriatrics, 24, 727
Date: 09/2024
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Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Patient-Centered, Nonphysician Led Self-Monitoring Blood Pressure Program in a Rural Federally Qualified Health Center
Evaluated the effectiveness of a self-monitoring blood pressure program (SMBP) involving a nonphysician team for 205 patients with recent hypertension diagnoses in a rural Washington Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). Discusses facilitators and barriers to implementation including COVID-19, telehealth, community health workers, working with limited English proficiency populations, reimbursement, and collaborations.
Author(s): Magali Sanchez, KeliAnne Hara-Hubbard, Bárbara Baquero
Citation: Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 30, S3167-S174
Date: 09/2024
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Critical Lessons from a Pragmatic Randomized Trial of Home-Based COVID-19 Testing in Rural Native American and Latino Communities
Examines the impact of utilizing community health workers (CHWs) to provide COVID-19 home testing in rural Latino and Native American communities. Includes data on completion of COVID-19 tests and provides qualitative feedback on accessibility, feasibility, and completion of COVID-19 home testing with CHW assistance.
Author(s): Eliza Webber, Sonia Bishop, Paul K. Drain, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 40(4), 709-719
Date: 09/2024
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Loneliness and Alcohol Use Among College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Rural Appalachia
Results of a study exploring the association between loneliness and various levels of alcohol use in 2020-2021 among 310 college students ages 18-25 in a rural, underserved region of Appalachian Tennessee. Features demographics with breakdowns including rural, suburban, or urban background.
Author(s): Manik Ahuja, Rachel Miller-Slough, Esther Adebayo-Abikoye, et al.
Citation: Chronic Stress, 8
Date: 08/2024
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Changes in Substance Use Diagnoses in the Great Plains During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Analyzed 109,671 patient visits for alcohol use disorder, opioid use disorder, or stimulant use disorder in 7 Great Plains states between March 2019 and March 2021 to report on demographic and geographic pattern disruptions in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic. Includes discussion of metropolitan and nonmetropolitan residency on data and policy implications regarding access to care.
Author(s): Ahmed Nahian, Lisa M. McFadden
Citation: Healthcare, 12(16)
Date: 08/2024
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Districts Try with Limited Success to Reduce Chronic Absenteeism: Selected Findings from the Spring 2024 American School District Panel Survey and Interviews
Discusses the rise of chronic absenteeism in schools in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the various causes, such as mental health, flexibility of remote learning, and ongoing COVID-19 pandemic challenges. Provides interview and survey data from 190 school district leaders and includes information on the percentage of districts experiencing chronic absenteeism and at what level; the characteristics of districts, including region, size, and urbanicity; and district methods of reducing chronic absenteeism.
Author(s): Melissa Kay Diliberti, Lydia R. Rainey, Lisa Chu, Heather L. Schwartz
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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The Impact of Chronic Underfunding on America's Public Health System: Trends, Risks, and Recommendations, 2024
Provides state-by-state information on public health funding and discusses public health systems at the local, tribal, and territorial levels. Includes information on funding provided to the states by the federal government, as well as state public health budgets. Features information about federal funding for COVID-19 response actions.
Author(s): Matt McKillop, Dara Alpert Lieberman
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
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