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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Population health

Kissing Bug and Chagas Disease: What You Need to Know
Highlights identification information for the Chagas-disease-carrying kissing bugs in the Southern U.S. Presents county-level data for Texas.
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: Texas Chagas Taskforce
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Engaging Native American Caregivers in Youth-Focused Diabetes Prevention and Management
Results of a study to assess feasibility and acceptability of enrolling adult caregivers in the Together on Diabetes program, using data collected in 4 Native American reservations in the southwestern United States, from 2012-2015. Features statistics on 256 youth and 226 caregivers, including age, sex, and diabetes status.
Author(s): Rachel Chambers, Summer Rosenstock, Melissa Walls, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 15
Date: 06/2018
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Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP, June 2018
Provides an in-depth examination of and makes recommendations on two critical issues, the high cost of prescription drugs and the opioid epidemic, as they relate to Medicaid. The opioid section includes discussion of rural access to treatment for substance use disorder. Also discusses Medicaid's role as the nation's largest payer for long-term services and supports.
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission
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High Risk: Agencies Need to Continue Efforts to Address Management Weaknesses of Federal Programs Serving Indian Tribes
Reports on the management of federal programs that serve American Indian populations across the U.S. Highlights the operations of the Office of the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs (Indian Affairs), the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and the Indian Health Service (IHS), and details the challenges facing each office, and the progress they have made in overcoming those challenges.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Oregon Washington Health Network and Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center "Tackle Everything" to Improve the Health of Local Community Members
Provides an overview of the collaboration between the Oregon Washington Health Network and the Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center. Discusses programs that include peer counselors to address behavioral health, community education related to heart disease and cancer prevention, and working with local healthcare facilities and medical schools to improve recruitment and retention.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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SAMHSA Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit
Provides strategies for healthcare providers, communities, and local governments to help prevent opioid-related overdoses and deaths. Includes facts for community members, essential steps for first responders, information for prescribers, safety advice for patients and family members, and resources for overdose survivors and their families.
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Evaluating National Program to Improve Access to Acute Stroke Services for Rural Veterans
Features a study on the Veterans Health Administration's efforts to improve access to acute stroke services for rural veteran populations. Discusses the National TeleStroke Program (NTSP) and it's impact on rural veterans.
Date: 06/2018
Sponsoring organization: VA Health Systems Research, Office of Research & Development
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Prescribing Practices of Rural Physicians Waivered to Prescribe Buprenorphine
Highlights a study on the prescribing practices of rural physicians with buprenorphine waivers, which allowed them to provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid used disorder. Findings are based on surveys of all rural physicians with a Drug Enforcement Administration prescription waiver. Breaks down data by physician specialty, practice type, and waiver type, among other factors.
Author(s): Holly A. Andrilla, Cynthia Coulthard, Davis G. Patterson
Citation: American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 54(6) S3, S208-S214
Date: 06/2018
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Activities and Situations When Young Adults Drive Drunk in Rural Montana
Examines the situations that lead to or promote driving under the influence of alcohol for young adults in 8 rural Montana counties, drawing from 11 focus group sessions with a total of 72 participants. Describes elevated fatality rates related to traffic crashes in rural areas and situation-specific decision factors contributing to driving under the influence. Discusses implications of data for community-wide interventions to reduce underage drinking and driving after or while drinking.
Author(s): Matthew E. Rossheim, Kaylin M. Greene, Caroline J. Stephenson
Citation: American Journal of Health Behavior, 42(3), 27-36
Date: 05/2018
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Peer Mentor Versus Teacher Delivery of a Physical Activity Program on the Effects of BMI and Daily Activity: Protocol of a School-based Group Randomized Controlled Trial in Appalachia
Describes a school-based program utilizing peer mentors to promote health behavior changes and improved health outcomes in rural Appalachian Ohio teens. Explores unique circumstances leading to limited physical activity among Appalachian youth, such as a lack of organized sports and recreational facilities.
Author(s): Lauren H. Smith, Rick L. Petosa, Abigail Shoben
Citation: BMC Public Health, 18, 633
Date: 05/2018
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