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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Infectious diseases

Cost-Effectiveness of Scaling Up HCV Prevention and Treatment in the United States for People Who Inject Drugs
Highlights the cost-effectiveness of combining medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and syringe-service programs (SSP) with hepatitis C (HCV) treatment for people who inject drugs. Compares services for patients in rural Perry County, KY; and urban San Francisco, CA.
Author(s): Carolina Barbosa, Hannah Fraser, Thomas J. Hoerger, et al.
Citation: Addiction, 114(12), 2267-2278
Date: 12/2020
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Spatial Access to Vaccines for Children Providers in South Carolina: Implications for HPV Vaccination
Explores access to Vaccines for Children (VFC) enrolled clinics in South Carolina to understand rural/urban disparities in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination initiation and improve rural HPV vaccination rates. Features information on VFC providers by rural and urban Zip Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs), spatial accessibility for VFC by rural and urban ZCTAs, and more.
Author(s): Radhika Ranganathan, Whitney Zahnd, Sayward Harrison, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 17
Date: 12/2020
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Lakewood Engage Tackles Food Insecurity in Rural Minnesota
Features a community-based program in rural Minnesota that addresses food insecurity through multiple initiatives, including distribution of fresh produce through a food "prescription" program, home delivery of meals to post-acute care patients and those in COVID-19 quarantine, and a farmers market.
Author(s): Kathryn Rutz
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Ensuring an Equitable Distribution of COVID-19 Vaccines in Rural Communities
Policy brief addressing rural access to COVID-19 vaccines. Discusses the vaccine infrastructure, distribution, transportation, and storage needed to reach rural residents. Provides guidance for national, state, and local leaders.
Author(s): John Gale, Alana Knudson, Michael Meit, Shena Popat
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Rural Hospitals Have Higher Percentages of Patients with COVID-19 than Urban Hospitals (October-December 2020)
Analyzes data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to compare the percent of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in rural versus urban hospitals. Features breakdowns by the Midwest, Northeast, West, and South.
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Rural Hospitalizations for COVID-19: Snapshot on December 10, 2020
Analyzes U.S. Department of Health and Human Services data to compare rural and urban hospitals on the percent of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and the percent of hospital beds occupied by patients who have COVID-19. Features breakdowns by geographical region.
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Telemedicine Utilization Report: Telehealth and Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines the use of telemedicine to deliver Medicaid-covered services in the state of Minnesota. Describes state and federal telehealth policy waivers and modifications that were temporarily implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses telehealth use by and special considerations for rural populations.
Author(s): Neerja Singh, Julie Marquardt
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Human Services
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Factors That Might Affect SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Among Foreign-Born and U.S.-Born Poultry Facility Workers — Maryland, May 2020
Looks at workplace-related, community, and household factors that might affect person-to-person SARS-CoV-2 transmission, with data for U.S.- and foreign-born workers at two Maryland poultry processing facilities.
Author(s): Beth L. Rubenstein, Stefanie Campbell, Alysha R. Meyers, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(50), 1906-1910
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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How Might Internet Connectivity Affect Health Care Access?
Describes how a lack of internet access may negatively impact access to healthcare. Features data and statistics on internet access, with information broken down by race/ethnicity, age, poverty level, insurance status and type, and metropolitan/nonmetropolitan location. Discusses COVID-19 and how social distancing measures have led to increased implementation of telehealth, resulting in additional challenges accessing healthcare among people with little to no internet connectivity.
Author(s): Krutika Amin, Matthew Rae, Giorlando Ramirez, Cynthia Cox
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Emergency Department Visits Involving Influenza and Influenza-Like Illnesses, 2016–2018
Presents statistics on influenza-like illness (ILI)-related emergency department (ED) visits in 34 states and the District of Columbia from 2016 through 2018. Includes data by location of patient's residence for metropolitan, rural metropolitan-adjacent, and rural remote areas, as well as a state-by-state map indicating the patient residence location where the rate of ED visits was highest.
Author(s): Lawrence D. Reid, Kathryn R. Fingar
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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