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Resources by Topic: Specialty care

Use of Telehealth to Improve Healthcare Access and Outcomes in Surgical Oncology
Explores the role of telehealth in improving healthcare access and outcomes in surgical oncology. Discusses geographic barriers to surgical oncology interventions how telehealth can help mitigate barriers to access. Highlights strategies to improve telehealth access and adoption.
Author(s): Elliot A. Asare, Lauren Cowan, Tracy Onega
Citation: Journal of Surgical Oncology
Date: 08/2024
Type: Document
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MedPAC Comment on CMS's Proposed Rule on the Payment System for End-Stage Renal Disease for CY 2025
Comments on a July 5, 2024, Federal Register proposed rule related to Medicare payment policies for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Includes comments addressing modifications to the outlier policy, updates to the low-volume payment adjustment (LVPA), and updates to the wage index methodology.
Date: 08/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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Dialysis More Available Than Patient Education in Counties With High Diabetes Prevalence
Compares availability of dialysis and diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) services at the county level, and discusses impacts of DSMES access on prevalence of end stage renal disease. Analyzes county-level characteristics associated with availability of dialysis or DSMES, including rurality, diabetes prevalence, presence of a Federally Qualified Health Center or Rural Health Clinic, and more.
Author(s): Janice C. Probst, Nicholas Yell, Gabriel A. Benavidez, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 21, 240052
Date: 08/2024
Type: Document
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Pediatric Subspecialty Outreach Clinics: Reach and Impact on Access to Care
Examines the impact of pediatric subspecialty clinics on driving times to children's subspecialty care in Maine. Compares distance to outreach clinics and clinical hubs for seven pediatric subspecialties, utilizing Google Maps driving time estimates for each Maine ZIP code tabulation area. Includes breakdowns by rural versus urban area.
Author(s): James C. Bohnhoff, Anya Cutler, Sean Hagenbuch, Kristen Kurland
Citation: BMC Pediatrics, 24, 519
Date: 08/2024
Type: Document
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Rural-Urban Mild Cognitive Impairment Comparison in West Michigan Through EHR
Analyzed electronic health record data for 1,528,464 patients to highlight rural and urban differences in mild cognitive impairment incidence, risk factors, and healthcare access in West Michigan. Discusses implications of study findings on dementia diagnosis, access to specialists, and more.
Author(s): Xiaodan Zhang, Martin Witteveen-Lane, Christine Skovira, et al.
Citation: Alzheimer's & Dementia Translational Research & Clinical Interventions
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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Geographic Variation in Shortfalls of Dementia Specialists in the United States
Reports on distribution of dementia specialists to identify potential dementia care shortage areas for the older adult population. Discusses the impact on rural residents.
Author(s): Jodi L. Liu, Lawrence Baker, Annie Yu-An Chen, Jue (Jessie) Wang
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 2(7)
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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Provision of Stroke Care Services by Community Disadvantage Status in the US, 2009-2022
Results of a study of 5,055 hospitals, examining the association of community socioeconomic disadvantage with likelihood of nearby hospitals adopting stroke center certification from 2009-2022. Features statistics including hospital characteristics during the study period, with breakdown by rural location.
Author(s): Renee Y. Hsia, Nandita Sarkar, Yu-Chu Shen
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 7(7), e2421010
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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Expanding the Opioid Use Disorder Medication Treatment Workforce in Rural Communities Through the RCORP Initiative
Examines the impact of the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) on the workforce supply of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-waivered clinicians in rural areas, who are able to prescribe buprenorphine. Analyzes 2017–2022 DEA lists of waivered clinicians to report on counties with a waivered clinician, clinician-to-population ratios, and treatment slot-to-population ratios. Discusses the impact of RCORP funding on Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) recovery services in rural communities.
Author(s): C. Holly A. Andrilla, Sara C. Woolcock, Kathleen Meyers, Davis G. Patterson
Citation: Journal of Rural Health
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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Interactive Maps to Improve Stroke Systems of Care in Wisconsin
Analyzes transfer patterns of stroke patients, including driving time and distance, from small rural hospitals to large tertiary hospitals in Wisconsin. Describes the development of interactive stroke transfer maps and discusses the use of mapping to identify gaps in systems of care, improve the efficiency of emergency services, and better understand hospital capacity.
Author(s): Ka Z. Xiong, Lena Swander, Dot Bluma, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 21, 230166
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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MedPAC Data Book: Health Care Spending and the Medicare Program, 2024
Provides an overview of Medicare spending and highlights data on Medicare beneficiary demographics, dual-eligible beneficiaries, quality of care provided through the Medicare program, and other payer liability. Examines settings of care, including rural-specific provider sites, as they relate to spending, access to care, and profit margins. Compares rural and urban beneficiaries and providers throughout. Chart 6-2 addresses rural hospital closures.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Medicare Payment Advisory Commission
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