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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Health conditions

"Meet People Where They Are": A Qualitative Study of Community Barriers and Facilitators to HIV Testing and HIV Self-Testing among African Americans in Urban and Rural Areas in North Carolina
Summarizes community-based strategies to increase testing among African Americans in both urban and rural areas of North Carolina. Identifies concerns over confidentiality, negative treatment by healthcare workers, and lack of support regarding self-testing kits. Discusses strategies such as decentralizing HIV testing, particularly in rural areas.
Author(s): Allison Mathews, Samantha Farley, Donaldson F. Conserve, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 20(494)
Date: 04/2020
Type: Document
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Proximity to Screening Site, Rurality, and Neighborhood Disadvantage: Treatment Status among Individuals with Sexually Transmitted Infections in Yakima County, Washington
Examines rurality, proximity to screening sites, and socioeconomic factors in relationship to individuals seeking treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Identifies barriers to STI treatment such as individuals living more than 10 miles from screening sites, living in micropolitan or rural areas, and others. Includes data on treatment for patients with STIs with breakdowns by sex, race/ethnicity, and metropolitan or micropolitan area.
Author(s): Solmaz Amiri, Christine D. Pham, Ofer Amram, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(8), 2679
Date: 04/2020
Type: Document
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Lack of In-Home Piped Water and Reported Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages among Adults in Rural Alaska
Examines associations between availability of in-home piped water service and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in rural Alaska using data from 2013 and 2015. Assesses health outcomes such as obesity and self-reported poor health as related to SSBs. Includes statistics broken down by age, sex, household income, and education level, among other things.
Author(s): Emily Mosites, Sara Seeman, Andrea Fenaughty, et al.
Citation: Public Health Nutrition, 23(5), 861-868
Date: 04/2020
Type: Document
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Rural-Nonrural Differences in Telemedicine Use for Mental and Substance Use Disorders Among Medicaid Beneficiaries
Presents a study on the rural and urban differences in use of telemedicine for mental and substance use disorder treatment among Medicaid beneficiaries. Breaks down data by patient demographics, year studied, and behavioral health disorder, among other measures.
Author(s): Timothy B. Creedon, Kristin E. Schrader, Peggy L. O'Brien, et al.
Citation: Psychiatric Services, 71(8), 756-764
Date: 04/2020
Type: Document
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Hospital Access in the Fifth District and COVID-19
Examines hospital access in West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, and Washington D.C. Discusses concerns raised by the COVID-19 pandemic and provides state- and county-level statistics and data on number of hospital beds per capita, average distance to nearest hospitals, and more.
Author(s): Surekha Carpenter, Tim Sablik
Date: 04/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
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Depression, Alcohol and Farm Stress: Addressing Co-Occurring Disorders in Rural America
Offers resources to help rural healthcare providers screen farmers, farmworkers, and farm families for alcohol use disorder and depression. Discusses farm stress and covers three categories of barriers to rural substance use and mental health services: accessibility, availability, and acceptability. Includes a hypothetical case scenario to illustrate the obstacles and challenges rural farm families experience when attempting to receive care for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
Author(s): Maridee Shogren, Robin Landwehr, David Terry, Abby Roach-Moore, Andrew McLean
Date: 04/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network, Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Republic of Palau - State of the Republic Address
Includes updates on efforts to minimize exposure to COVID-19 on Palau, and to help provide economic assistance to citizens who have experienced a loss of income due to the pandemic and communities that are experiencing financial hardship.
Author(s): Tommy E. Remengesau
Date: 04/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Republic of Palau
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How will the COVID-19 Recession Impact People with Disabilities in Rural America?
Fact sheet discussing ways in which rural people with disabilities are especially vulnerable to the COVID-19 recession. Analyzes data from the 2015 and 2016 Survey of Household Economics and Decision-making and the American Time Use Survey 2017-18 Leave and Job Flexibilities Module. Features statistics on numbers of people with disabilities who have emergency funds, paid sick leave, and jobs that can be done from home, with breakdowns by rural or metropolitan location.
Author(s): Bryce Ward, Andrew Myers, Catherine Ipsen, Lauren Smith
Date: 04/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Montana: Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities
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Rural Broadband in the Time of COVID-19
April 16, 2020 webinar recording highlights the state of rural broadband and its capacity to handle the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses remote work, distance learning, telehealth, the CARES Act, and the pandemic in tribal communities. Webinar is presented in two parts.
Additional links: Part 2 - April 22, 2020
Date: 04/2020
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organizations: Daily Yonder, Rural Assembly
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Federal Health Centers and COVID-19
Describes the early federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on Health Center Program facilities, including Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Describes the funding directed to the Health Center Program and the flexibilities for FQHCs to provide telehealth services during the public health emergency.
Date: 04/2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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