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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Service delivery models

Study of Telehealth Expansion and Payment Parity: Preliminary Report to the Minnesota Legislature 2023
Provides an overview of telehealth usage in Minnesota, with a focus on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on telehealth; issues of access, quality, satisfaction, and equity; payment parity; audio-only telehealth; and more. Includes 2021 Minnesota Health Access (MNHA) Survey data about telehealth satisfaction for various populations, including rural, as well as telehealth implications for rural areas.
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Health
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Medical Assistants' Telehealth Roles and Skills in Primary Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Study examining the role of medical assistants (MAs) in providing primary care via telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. 10 key informants from national and state primary care organizations were interviewed. Results include discussion about the variation in roles being dependent on organization size and rurality.
Author(s): Samantha W. Pollack, Susan M. Skillman, Tracy M. Mroz, Bianca K. Frogner
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Achieving Behavioral Health Care Integration in Rural America
Provides an overview of behavioral health and primary care integration and how integration may be different in rural areas than in urban and suburban areas. Examines the barriers to integration in rural areas and opportunities for policies that can improve access to care. Offers policy recommendations to better coordinate and integrate primary care and behavioral health services for high-risk groups and expand the ability of primary care providers to handle the lower-acuity behavioral health needs of patients through enhanced payments, training, and improved access to behavioral health providers for consultation and referral. Builds on the March 2021 report, Tackling America's Mental Health and Addiction Crisis Through Primary Care Integration.
Author(s): Kendall Strong, Michele Gilbert, Julia Harris, et al.
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center
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Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cancer Patients in Western Pennsylvania: Rural–Urban Disparities
Examines the impact of COVID-19 and related concerns on cancer patients in rural and urban areas of Pennsylvania. Analyzes a sample of 1,980 patient surveys from August-December 2020 and March 2021 by patient perception of pandemic-related distress, cancer care, COVID-19 impact on personal health, and more. Includes rural versus urban data on COVID-19 concerns related to cancer care as well as demographic breakdowns.
Author(s): Kathryn Demanelis, Margaret Rosenzweig, Linda B. Robertson, et al.
Citation: Cancer Causes Control, 34(7), 595-609
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
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Barriers to Rural Health Care From the Provider Perspective
Results of a study using data from interviews with 20 healthcare providers in rural areas of western Pennsylvania. Explores barriers to care, including cost and insurance, geographic dispersion, and provider shortage and burnout. Offers strategies for improvement, including use of telehealth, mobile clinics, and increased use of advanced practice providers.
Author(s): Avinash Maganty, Mary E. Byrnes, Megan Hamm, et al.
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 23(2), 7769
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
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State Medicaid and Private Telemedicine Coverage Requirements and Telemedicine Use, 2013–2019
Examines the association between state Medicaid and private telemedicine coverage requirements and live video-based telemedicine use by analyzing nationally representative survey data from the 2013–2019 Association of American Medical Colleges Consumer Survey of Health Care Access. Evaluates the impact of these requirements by rurality. Explores whether telemedicine coverage requirements were associated with healthcare access.
Author(s): Brandy J. Lipton, Michael F. Pesko
Citation: Health Services Research, 2023
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
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Pandemic Era Telehealth Innovations in the Mental Health and Substance Use Treatment Fields: Practice-Informed Findings and Recommendations
Report highlights some takeaways from the expansion of telebehavioral health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses the ways behavioral health providers adapted telehealth to their practices and the effect that had on access, outcomes, and care utilization, among other factors. Details the effect telebehavioral health had on expanding access to rural areas.
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Council for Mental Wellbeing
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Elevating Equity in Economic Development: Inclusive Recovery Toolkit and Inclusive Recovery Guide
Presents a framework for communities to elevate equity and inclusivity in economic development and recovery projects. Explores post-COVID-19 economic recovery strategies that support inclusive growth and equitable outcomes. Highlights example projects throughout the country. Features considerations for rural communities, including rural transportation and childcare projects.
Additional links: Interactive Toolkit
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Development Organizations
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Montana Health Network Provides Care Coordination for Chronic Disease Management
Features a regional care coordination program serving eastern Montana that uses registered nurses to check in with adult patients with chronic conditions and connect them with any needed referrals or community resources.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Frequently Asked Questions: CMS Waivers, Flexibilities, and the End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
Provides information related to COVID-19 flexibilities after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) that expired May 11, 2023. Addresses issues impacting Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and private insurance including concerns related to COVID-19 vaccines and treatment, telehealth, and more. Includes information about which changes have ended, as well as end dates for those that extend after the PHE.
Date: 05/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
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