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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Illicit drug use

Assessment of Substance Use Disorder Stigma and Strategies for Addressing Stigma in Rural Areas
January 31, 2024 webinar recording sharing results from the National Report on Rural Substance Use Disorder Stigma and Treatment Needs and discussing strategies for addressing stigma in rural areas. Includes transcript.
Additional links: Slide Presentation
Date: 01/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction
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A Federally Qualified Health Center and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic Partnership in Rural Missouri
Case study describing a medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) program partnership between a Federally Qualified Health Center and a certified community behavioral health clinic in rural southwest Missouri. Covers the infrastructure of the MOUD program, staffing and services, financing, and more. Highlights challenges and successes, as well as recommendations for other health centers interested in a similar partnership.
Author(s): Ashley Jasko, Meryl Schulman
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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El Dorado Community Health Centers: Addressing the Opioid Epidemic in Rural California through Community Partnerships
Case study describing how El Dorado Community Health Centers, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in California, works with a community coalition to address the opioid epidemic and implement a medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) program. Covers the infrastructure of the MOUD program, staffing and services, financing, and more. Highlights challenges and successes, as well as recommendations for other health centers.
Author(s): Ashley Jasko, Meryl Schulman
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Care Strategies
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Association of Spatial Proximity to Fixed-Site Syringe Services Programs with HCV Serostatus and Injection Equipment Sharing Practices Among People Who Inject Drugs in Rural New England, United States
Examines the correlation of proximity to a syringe services program (SSP) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in rural areas of the northeastern United States. Utilizes 2018-2019 data to analyze people who inject drugs (PWID) and their demographic characteristics, drug usage, and distance to the nearest fixed-site SSP.
Author(s): Eric Romo, Thomas J. Stopka, Bill M. Jesdale, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 21, 23
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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The Impact of Fentanyl on State- and County-Level Psychostimulant and Cocaine Overdose Death Rates by Race in Ohio from 2010 to 2020: A Time Series and Spatiotemporal Analysis
Analyzes the role of fentanyl in overdose deaths in Ohio. Examines 2010-2020 state- and county-level overdose mortality rates with data further broken down by drug type and race/ethnicity. Discusses related geographical factors such as rurality and Appalachian region.
Author(s): Angela T. Estadt, Brian N. White, JaNelle M. Ricks, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 21, 13
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Opioid Overdose Surveillance Preliminary District Report: Georgia, 2022
Describes district-level fatal and nonfatal opioid-involved overdoses that occurred in Georgia 2020-2022. Covers prescription opioids and illicit opioids, including heroin, fentanyl, and fentanyl analogs. Features statistics on demographics, overdose deaths, and emergency department visits, with breakdowns by district, drug type, and year. The Preliminary County Report contains county-by-county data.
Additional links: County Report
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Department of Public Health
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Primary Care Professionals' Perspectives on Tailoring Buprenorphine Training for Rural Practice
Interviewed 23 rural Ohio primary care professionals to identify barriers to prescribing buprenorphine for opioid use disorder treatment. Discusses the need for training addressing rural-specific barriers, limited patient access to required social supports, workforce, and stigma. Offers recommendations based on findings.
Author(s): Cheyenne Fenstemaker, Elizabeth A. Abrams, Benjamin Obringer, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 2024
Date: 2024
Type: Document
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Effectiveness of Syringe Services Programs
Presents a literature review of the studies evaluating SSP interventions across the country. Report aims to evaluate the overall efficacy of SSPs at reducing the transmission of HIV/HCV. Four of the 100 studies were conducted in completely rural settings, and 5 were conducted in both rural and urban settings. Makes recommendations for VA policy makers.
Additional links: Appendices, Executive Summary
Author(s): Katherine M. Mackey, Erin H. Beech, Beth E. Williams, et al.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: VA Health Services Research & Development Service
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Disparities in Mortality Between Appalachian and Non-Appalachian Regions of Kentucky
Compares all-cause, drug-related, and opioid-related mortality in Kentucky, with breakdowns by metropolitan/nonmetropolitan and Appalachian/non-Appalachian counties. Utilizes 2000-2019 CDC WONDER mortality data. Identifies mortality trends, and discusses related demographic, geographic, and socioeconomic factors.
Author(s): Sonali S. Salunkhe, Sahal Alzahrani, Beatrice Ugiliweneza
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 5(3), 38-52
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
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Differences in Buprenorphine Prescribing Readiness Among Primary Care Professionals With and Without X-Waiver Training in the US
Examines readiness of primary care providers (PCPs) to prescribe buprenorphine to patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). Analyzes PCP knowledge of and confidence in buprenorphine, attitudes toward patients with OUD, and stress and/or empathy toward patients with OUD. Utilizes survey data from 403 PCPs in Ohio and discusses the challenges of addressing OUD in rural contexts.
Author(s): Berkeley Franz, Lindsay Y. Dhanani, O. Trent Hall, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 20, 180
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
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