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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Population health

Low Burden Strategies Are Needed to Reduce Smoking in Rural Healthcare Settings: A Lesson from Cancer Clinics
Details a study on the effectiveness of an electronic health record-based smoking cessation module in providing cessation services to rural cancer patients. Presents data by patient characteristics, services accessed, and rural versus urban location, among other measures.
Author(s): Alex T. Ramsey, Timothy B. Baker, Giang Pham, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(5), 1728
Date: 03/2020
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National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services Meeting Summary, Atlanta, Georgia, March 2-4, 2020
Summarizes the 87th meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services (NACRHHS), which was held in Atlanta, Georgia. Presents an overview of national and state perspectives on the meeting's two areas of focus: rural maternal health and HIV prevention and treatment.
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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MPH Students Tackle Real-Life Problems at Oklahoma's Critical Access Hospitals
Presents an overview of an Oklahoma State University (OSU) program that enables public health students, in conjunction with the Oklahoma Office of Rural Health (OORH), to address challenges facing Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in Oklahoma. Projects are selected based on priorities from Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNAs), with past efforts addressing mental health first aid, healthy eating, substance use, physical activity, and more.
Author(s): Beth Blevins
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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The Health Resources and Services Administration's Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program in Rural Areas of the United States: Geographic Distribution, Provider Characteristics, and Clinical Outcomes
Analyzes 2017 data from the HRSA Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) Services Report to determine the program's reach in rural areas. Compares rural and urban characteristics for providers, services, clinical outcomes, and clients supported by RWHAP. Discusses barriers to rural HIV care delivery and RWHAP's mediation of those barriers.
Author(s): Pamela W. Klein, Tanya Geiger, Nicole S. Chavis, et al.
Citation: PLoS One, 15(3), 1-17
Date: 03/2020
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2020 County Health Rankings Key Findings Report
Discusses county-level health disparities by examining health factors and outcomes throughout the U.S. Covers life expectancy, racial and ethnic opportunity gaps, homeownership rates, child poverty, and more. Includes key findings and examples of community efforts to improve health outcomes.
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
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Second Report to Congress: Social Risk Factors and Performance in Medicare's Value-Based Purchasing Programs
Analyzes the effect of individuals' social risk factors on quality measures, resource utilization, and other Medicare program measures using Medicare and non-Medicare data sources. Describes how Medicare value-based purchasing (VBP) programs impact providers who serve socially at-risk beneficiaries. Categorizes rurality as a social risk factor. Explores emerging trends among providers addressing social risk factors through cooperation with social services and community-based organizations. Offers policy recommendations for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to account for social risk factors in VBP programs and achieve better outcomes for those with social risk factors. Second of two reports required by the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation (IMPACT) Act of 2014. See the first report.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Touchpoints for Addressing Substance Use Issues in Home Visiting: Phase 1 Final Report
Report details information and guidance for addressing substance use issues encountered during home visiting. Discusses substance use issues and the way home visiting can address those issues while supporting families. Features a number of questions and answers and includes discussion regarding home visiting in rural areas.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organizations: Administration for Children and Families, Mathematica, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation
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Tribal TANF-Child Welfare Coordination: Collaboration Assessment Tool
Details assessment criteria for collaborations between Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Child Welfare Coordination (TT-CW) programs. Provides instructions for conducting the assessment and includes a copy of the tool in the appendix.
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: Tribal TANF-Child Welfare
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Maternal Mortality: Trends in Pregnancy-Related Deaths and Federal Efforts to Reduce Them
Examines trends in pregnancy-related deaths between 2007 and 2016, Analyzes data by cause of death and patient demographic characteristics. Appendix III lists ongoing Department of Health and Human Services funding opportunities to address maternal mortality, including the Rural Maternity and Obstetrics Management Strategies (RMOMS) Program. Appendix V provides an overview of efforts to reduce maternal mortality in California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, and Texas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Genotyping and Subtyping Cryptosporidium To Identify Risk Factors and Transmission Patterns — Nebraska, 2015–2017
Examines Cryptosporidium in Nebraska, looking at the distribution of cases of cryptosporidiosis caused by Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis in rural and urban settings. Reports on rural cases due to animal exposures and urban cases in child care facilities.
Author(s): Brianna K. Loeck, Caitlin Pedati, Peter C. Iwen, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(12), 335-338
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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