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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Emergency medical services

Standard Precautions Among Emergency Medical Services in Urban and Rural Areas
Study examining EMS adherence to standard precautions regarding blood and bodily fluid safety, comparing rural and urban EMS providers in West Virginia. Analyzes survey data to understand general exposure prevention practices. Discusses role of occupational health professionals in administering standard precautions training and evaluation for EMS providers.
Author(s): Riyadh A. Alhazmi, R. David Parker, Sijin Wen
Citation: Workplace Health and Safety, 68(2), 73-80
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
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Template for Emergency Medical Services Informed Community Self Determination (ICSD)
Includes an agency pre-visit checklist, a sample Program Agreement, and evaluation tools to help outside evaluators report on issues that might affect a community's EMS performance and level of care. Intended for rural, relatively isolated areas with few EMS resource options.
Author(s): Kevin McGinnis, Gary Wingrove
Date: 02/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of State EMS Officials
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Preventing Opioid Overdose with Peer-Administered Naloxone: Findings from a Rural State
Highlights a study on the efficacy of peer-administered naloxone to prevent opioid overdose deaths. Bases conclusions on interviews with individuals who have received the training and the naloxone kits from a program in rural Alaska.
Author(s): Bridget L. Hanson, Rebecca R. Porter, Amanda L. Zöld, Heather Terhorst-Miller
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 17(1), 4
Date: 01/2020
Type: Document
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EMS in Dixie County, Florida: Driving Data for Improved Health
Video details how Dixie County, Florida used supplemental Flex funding to improve reporting quality data collection of its rural emergency medical services (EMS). Explores the way the county used the supplement funding to improve the rate of data collection and data quality of the county's EMS.
Date: 01/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Bringing it All Together for EMS in Wright County, Iowa
Video details how Wright County, Iowa, used supplemental Flex funding to solidify their emergency medical services (EMS). Highlights the way the county used the supplement funding to initiate a project to design a sustainable EMS program that provides coverage to the whole county.
Date: 01/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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Public-Safety Broadband Network: Network Deployment Is Progressing, but FirstNet Could Strengthen Its Oversight
Provides an overview of the implementation progress of the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) public-safety broadband network and FirstNet's oversight of AT&T, which will install, operate, and maintain the network. Describes three areas of contract oversight that need to be strengthened and provides recommendations for improvement. Discusses broadband coverage differences in rural and non-rural areas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Report to Congress: Demonstration Project on Community Health Integration Models in Certain Rural Counties - Final Report
Presents findings from the Frontier Community Health Integration Project Demonstration (FCHIP) demonstration project over the 3-year project period. Shares results for the 10 participating Critical Access Hospitals in three states: North Dakota, Montana, and Nevada. The demonstration focused on interventions addressing ambulance services, skilled nursing facility/nursing facility beds, and telehealth. Offers recommendations for legislative and administrative action.
Date: 2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Rural Emergency Medical Services Integration
Outlines tools and strategies for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to use when integrating with other healthcare providers. Discusses approaches to the integration of medical direction, medical protocols, quality reviews, training and continuing education, and operations, among other topics.
Date: 11/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Paramedic Foundation, Technical Assistance and Services Center
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Rural First Responder Access to Mental Health Care: A National Crisis
Explores mental health challenges experienced by first responders and increased risk of suicide. Describes barriers to accessing adequate mental healthcare within the scope of their employment, especially in rural areas where services remain limited and stigma may be associated with the need for assistance.
Author(s): Jeffrey Hintz, Carrie Hintz
Date: 10/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Journal of Emergency Medical Services
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Traumatic Injury and Access to Care in Rural Areas: Leveraging Linked Data and Geographic Information Systems for Planning and Advocacy
Analyzes county-level data representing traumatic injury rates in rural Colorado. Discusses challenges to trauma care in rural areas, including distance to trauma centers, rates of injury, prevention resources, EMS response times, and limited EMS capacity. Includes county-level maps showing transportation time to trauma centers, mortality rates, and hospitalization rates for traumatic injury.
Author(s): Paula Yuma, Rebecca Orsi, Julie Dunn, et al.
Citation: Rural Remote Health, 19(3), 5089
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
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