Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Infectious diseases

COVID-19 National Emergency: Early Trends in Hospitalizations for Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program Health Conditions and 30-Day Readmission Rates
Provides an overview of the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP). Describes monthly trends in hospitalizations of Medicare beneficiaries for HRRP conditions before and after the implementation of COVID-19 emergency measures through September 30, 2020. Examines how monthly trends in unadjusted 30-day readmission rates before and after implementation of COVID-19 emergency measures and how these rates differ by sociodemographic characteristics, including rurality. Discusses policy opportunities and interventions to enhance post-discharge follow-up and reduce readmission rates.
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details
Oral Health in America: Advances and Challenges
Report explores the relationship oral health has to overall health and wellness. Discusses the societal factors that affect oral health and oral healthcare access. Features a discussion on rural oral health disparities and access to care in rural areas.
Additional links: Errata Notice, Executive Summary
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health
view details
Report of Health Care Provider Recommendation for COVID-19 Vaccination Among Adults, by Recipient COVID-19 Vaccination Status and Attitudes — United States, April–September 2021
Examines provider recommendations for COVID-19 vaccination and the impact of those recommendations on COVID-19 vaccination coverage and attitudes. Includes data for urban (MSA principal city), suburban (MSA nonprincipal city), and rural (non-MSA) areas.
Author(s): Kimberly H. Nguyen, David Yankey, Peng-jun Lu, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 70(50), 1723-1730
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details
COVID-19: Selected States Modified Meal Provision and Other Older Americans Act Services to Prioritize Safety
Examines how four states utilized COVID-19 funding and regulatory flexibilities to address challenges to serving older adults during the COVID- 19 pandemic. Identifies strategies states and localities used to meet nutrition and other needs of older adults. Includes perspectives from rural localities and service providers.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Health Care Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic by Race and Social Determinants of Health among Adults Age ≥ 58 years in the REGARDS Study
Presents results of a survey of Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort study participants about their experiences with SARS-CoV-2 testing and access to care. Presents data on COVID-19 testing, symptoms of COVID-19 without a diagnosis, and changes to access to care by participant characteristics, including rural and urban residence.
Author(s): Emily B. Levitan, Virginia J. Howard, Mary Cushman, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 21
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
view details
Rural Opioid Treatment Program Patient Perspectives on Take-Home Methadone Policy Changes During COVID-19: A Qualitative Thematic Analysis
Study examining patient perspectives following policy changes in take-home methadone treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), based on qualitative interviews with 46 patients from 3 rural opioid treatment programs in Oregon. Highlights main themes related to adapting to the changing policies during the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges and benefits of at-home dosing, and future policy and procedural changes.
Author(s): Ximena A. Levander, Kim A. Hoffman, John W. McIlveen, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 16, 72
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
view details
Supporting Families in Region XI AIAN Head Start: Centers' Early Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Describes how Region XI Head Start children's centers adjusted their communications and services with families during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Examines the needs that families reported to center staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, including food and nutrition services and healthcare related to COVID-19, and discusses how centers provided supports to meet these needs.
Author(s): Katie Gonzalez, Sara Bernstein, Lizabeth Malone, Addison Larson, AIAN FACES 2019 Workgroup
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Administration for Children and Families, Mathematica
view details
Policy Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Insecurity in Rural America: Evidence from Appalachia
Study examining food access during the COVID-19 pandemic in a rural Appalachian community in Kentucky, based on qualitative data from 5 focus groups. Discusses food scarcity, supply chain disruptions, federal food assistance, community food resources, and home gardening, and highlights policy implications related to federal programs and social determinants of health.
Author(s): Kathryn M. Cardarelli, Emily DeWitt, Rachel Gillespie, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(23), 12792
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
view details
Reaching People with HIV (PWH) in Rural United States
Infographic describing challenges related to HIV screening and care in rural areas. Highlights strategies to address barriers to care, including telehealth HIV care delivery, investing in transportation initiatives, and minimizing stigma and denial.
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: AIDS Education and Training Centers National Coordinating Resource Center
view details
Assessment of Patient Preferences for Telehealth in Post-COVID-19 Pandemic Health Care
Results of a study to ascertain patient preferences for video visits after the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, and to identify perceptions of the value of video visits and the role of out-of-pocket costs in changing patient preferences. Features demographic statistics for survey participants, including breakdowns by residence in communities with populations of less than 50,000 or greater than 50,000.
Author(s): Zachary S. Predmore, Elizabeth Roth, Joshua Breslau, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(12)
Date: 12/2021
Type: Document
view details