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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Primary care

Health is Primary: Charting a Path to Equity and Sustainability
Examines factors driving the downward trends in primary care, including fewer clinicians practicing primary care, fewer available appointments, lower spending on primary care, and fewer adults reporting that they have a usual source of primary care. Features a literature review, supply and demand analysis, and recommendations for potential solutions. Mentions rural throughout.
Additional links: Slide Presentation
Author(s): Alison Huffstetler, Ann Greiner, Anam Siddiqi, et al.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Primary Care Collaborative, Robert Graham Center
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First-Ever Rural Physician and Advanced Practice Provider Compensation Survey
Recording of an October 11, 2023, webinar discussing results of a January 2023 survey of rural hospitals regarding physician and advanced-practice provider compensation. Presents results for primary care and specialty care providers by provider type, hospital system affiliation, and region. Highlights factors that influence compensation and nurse practitioner practice environments by state. Transcript available in the video description.
Additional links: Presentation Slides
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Association, Stroudwater Associates
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2023 Needs Assessment Study of Low-Income North Dakota Individuals and Families
Report depicts the needs of low-income individuals and families in North Dakota. Highlights the need for access to affordable housing/rental assistance, food, dental insurance, and behavioral healthcare, among others. Discusses the needs of low-income people in rural communities, particularly primary and mental healthcare access.
Additional links: 2020 VS. 2023 Comparison, Executive Summary, Regional Results
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Community Action Partnership of North Dakota, North Dakota State University
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Implementation of Substance Use Screening in Rural Federally-Qualified Health Center Clinics Identified High Rates of Unhealthy Alcohol and Cannabis Use among Adult Primary Care Patients
Examines the feasibility of integrating electronic health record (EHR) tools into the screening of primary care patients for substance use. Discusses the process of screening 3,749 patients at 3 rural Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) via EHR-integrated methods and the potential impacts of this screening method on reducing rural primary care provider burden.
Author(s): Jennifer McNeely, Bethany McLeman, Trip Gardner, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 18, 56
Date: 09/2023
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US Pediatric Primary Care Physician Workforce in Rural Areas, 2010 to 2020
Research letter assessing the growth and distribution of the general pediatrician and family medicine physician workforce from 2010-2020 across U.S. counties, and identifying sociodemographic characteristics of counties lacking these physicians. Features statistics with breakdowns by partly rural, entirely rural, and total counties.
Author(s): Tarun Ramesh, Hao Yu
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(9)
Date: 09/2023
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Care Coordination Between Rural Primary Care and Telemedicine to Expand Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder: Results from a Single-Arm, Multisite Feasibility Study
Examines the feasibility of expanding access to medication treatment for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in rural areas through the use of telemedicine. Analyzes 6 rural primary care sites and their care coordination model. Includes data on patients referred to telemedicine and total number of patient-days on MOUD.
Author(s): Yih-Ing Hser, Larissa J. Mooney, Laura-Mae Baldwin, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 39(4), 780-788
Date: 09/2023
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The State of Our Health: A Statewide Health Assessment of Pennsylvania, August 2023 Update
Identifies specific health challenges in Pennsylvania and indicates where the largest improvements can be made. Features sections on social determinants of health, access to care, substance use, chronic diseases, mental health, maternal and infant health, injury and violence prevention, infectious diseases and immunization, Health Professional Shortage Areas, and environmental health. Includes references to rural throughout.
Date: 08/2023
Sponsoring organization: Pennsylvania Department of Health
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Who's Accountable? Low-Value Care Received By Medicare Beneficiaries Outside Of Their Attributed Health Systems
Examines how much low-volume care and health system spending can be attributed to fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries aged 65-years-old and older receiving care outside of the health system between 2017-2018. Explores beneficiary and health system factors associated with receiving the thirty most common low-value services, including beneficiaries' rurality and whether the low-value services originated from primary care physicians or specialists.
Author(s): Ishani Ganguli, Maia L. Crawford, Benjamin Usadi, et al.
Citation: Health Affairs, 42(8), 1128-1139
Date: 08/2023
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Use of Real Time Clinical Video Telehealth to Home by Primary Care Providers Within the Veterans Health Administration During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Variability Across VA Stations and with Time
Describes the extent to which Clinical Video Telehealth to Home (VT2H) was used for primary care licensed independent practitioner visits (PCLIPVs) across the Veterans Health Administration (VA) during the first 18 months of the COVID pandemic. Explores how VT2H use varied over time and by VA station characteristics, including rurality.
Author(s): Dennis H. Sullivan, Linda M. Sawyer, Bonnie D. Dawson, et al.
Citation: JAMIA Open, 6(3)
Date: 08/2023
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Acceptability and Readiness to Promote Human Papillomavirus Vaccination at Ages 9–10 Years: A Feasibility Study among North Carolina Clinics
Examines the recommendation of vaccinating against the human papillomavirus (HPV) in children 9-10 years old. Analyzes feedback from providers in 2 rural North Carolina primary clinics about their perceptions regarding this recommendation.
Author(s): Nadja A. Vielot, Robyn M. Lane, Kaitlyn Loefstedt, et al.
Citation: Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 9,153
Date: 08/2023
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