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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Primary care

Meeting the Behavioral Health Needs of Farm Families in Times of Economic Distress
Offers strategies to support development and integration of behavioral health services across healthcare and community-based organizations, including leveraging payment systems to support coordinated care for farm families and aligning federal grant programs to address mental health and substance use disorders. Features recommendations including integrating primary and behavioral care for initial treatment of mental health and substance abuse concerns, expanding the workforce to improve rural behavioral health services capacity, increasing telehealth services, and expanding private and public insurance coverage.
Author(s): Andrew F. Coburn, Alva O. Ferdinand, Alana Knudson, et al.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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"I was Unsure at First": A Qualitative Evaluation of Patient Perceptions of VA Clinical Video Telehealth Visits in the V-IMPACT Program
Features a study evaluating a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) program using video-based telehealth to expand access to primary care to rural veterans. Draws conclusions based on interviews with patients who utilized the program.
Author(s): Ashley C Mog, Megan Moldestad, Rachael Kenney, et al.
Citation: Journal of Patient Experience, 9
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
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Increasing Capacity for Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder in Rural Primary Care Practices
Examines strategies to improve the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) in primary care practices (PCPs) through the program Implementing Technology and Medication Assisted Treatment Team Training in Rural Colorado (IT MATTTRs). Reports on 42 PCPs who participated in IT MATTTRs over 20 months beginning in September 2017. Discusses program efficacy and potential impacts on OUD in rural areas.
Author(s): Linda Zittleman, Kristen Curcija, Donald E. Nease Jr, et al.
Citation: Annals of Family Medicine, 20(1), 18-23
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
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The Effectiveness of Policies to Improve Primary Care Access for Underserved Populations: An Assessment of the Literature
Review of research literature to assess whether policy initiatives targeting primary care access for rural and underserved populations has been effective in reducing healthcare disparities. Initiatives considered include availability, accessibility, accommodation, affordability, and acceptability.
Additional links: Fact Sheet: Alleviating Structural Barriers to Obtaining Primary Care Services, Fact Sheet: Bringing Outpatient Clinics into Communities, Fact Sheet: Ensuring Comfort and Communication in the Delivery of Primary Care Services, Fact Sheet: Increasing the Availability of Primary Care Clinicians, Fact Sheet: Removing Financial Barriers to Primary Care
Author(s): Maanasa Kona, Megan Houston, Nia Gooding
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Milbank Memorial Fund
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Helicobacter pylori Prevalence and Risk Factors in Three Rural Indigenous Communities of Northern Arizona
Explores a study on the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) bacterial infections among members of the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona. Breaks down data by age, clinical history, and water sources, among other factors.
Author(s): Robin B. Harris, Heidi E. Brown, Rachelle L. Begay, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(2), 797
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
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Health Workforce: Biden-Harris Administration 2021 HRSA Highlights
Fact sheet describing the Health Resources & Services Administration's efforts to support the health workforce and promote health equity. Includes descriptions of funding opportunities and efforts to promote expansion of graduate medical education programs in rural and underserved areas.
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health Resources and Services Administration
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Integrating Serious Illness Care into Primary Care Delivery: Proceedings of a Workshop
Summarizes presentations and discussions from a June 2021 workshop on challenges and opportunities to integrate serious illness care into primary care settings. Covers the shared principles of primary and serious illness care, the interdisciplinary teams in each discipline, policy issues that serve as barriers or incentives, and best practices. Includes examples of integrating serious illness care into primary care settings in rural areas.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Comparing Two Telehealth Approaches for Treating Complex Psychiatric Disorders in Primary Care -- The SPIRIT Study
Details a study on the use of telepsychiatry and telepsychology to treat complex psychiatric disorders in rural primary care settings. Discusses a trials done in 24 primary care clinics without behavioral health services. Compares models of care and draws conclusions from survey data.
Additional links: Audio Abstract Recording, En Español, Research Summary
Author(s): John C. Fortney, Jürgen Unützer
Date: 2022
Type: Document
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A Quality Improvement Initiative Addressing STI Services Provided in Rural South Carolina Primary Care Clinics
Provides an overview of HIV and STI trends in South Carolina and best practices for testing and prevention. Discusses barriers to HIV and STI treatments in rural areas and a pilot project to increase STI testing among Pre-exposure Prophylaxis PrEP patients. Includes county-level HIV and STI statistics in South Carolina as well as national trends.
Author(s): Sayward Harrison
Date: 2022
Type: Presentation Slides
Sponsoring organization: University of South Carolina
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Does Primary Care Availability Mediate the Relationship Between Rurality and Lower Life Expectancy in the United States?
Analyzes if the availability of primary care providers (PCPs) is a factor in life expectancy outcomes in rural areas. Utilizes county-level statistics for the years 2010, 2015, and 2017 to see if rural counties with higher PCP density trended toward higher life expectancy. Includes descriptive statistics that show rural versus urban comparisons for life expectancy, race/ethnicity, education level, income, insurance and employment status, rate of elderly residents, and access to/cost of medical care.
Author(s): Arjun Sharma, Sanjay Basu
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 13
Date: 2022
Type: Document
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