This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Specialty care

Introducing the L.A.U.N.C.H Collaborative
Describes the Linking & Amplifying User-Centered Networks through Connected Health (L.A.U.N.C.H.) demonstration project, based in Appalachian Kentucky and aimed at preventing cancer and removing obstacles faced by cancer patients in rural and underserved areas, through improvements in broadband access.
Author(s): F. Douglas Scutchfield, Kevin Patrick
Citation: Journal of Appalachian Health, 2(1), 1-5
Date: 2020
view details
Access to Specialty Healthcare in Urban Versus Rural US Populations: A Systematic Literature Review
Surveys research between January 2013 – August 2018 on healthcare access, seeking clear definition and understanding of barriers to specialty care. Draws data from 67 peer-reviewed articles, presenting a conceptual framework based on common themes. Discusses issues of availability, perception, policy, stigma, and other access factors.
Author(s): Melissa E. Cyr, Anna G. Etchin, Barbara J. Guthrie, James C. Benneyan
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 19, 974
Date: 12/2019
view details
Access to Specialty Care for Medicare Beneficiaries in Rural Communities
Findings from a voluntary online survey conducted in 2019 of 111 Rural Health Clinic (RHC) staff, from 27 states, to identify the most difficult specialty healthcare service to access, and why it is the most difficult to access. Conducts an analysis of RHC distance to the nearest hospital or clinic to determine variation in difficulty accessing specialty services.
Author(s): Megan Lahr, Hannah Neprash, Carrie Henning-Smith, Mariana S. Tuttle, Ashley M. Hernandez
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
view details
The Value Initiative Members in Action: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center - Lebanon, N.H
Describes how the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center partners with rural and community hospitals to provide telehealth specialty care services across northern New England through the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Connected Care program. Discusses clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction with the telehealth programs. Examines how telehealth services impact staffing and services offered in small and rural hospitals.
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
Issue Brief: Integrated Behavioral Health is High-value Care
Highlights the advantages of behavioral health integration. Addresses costs and healthcare outcomes and presents several models for integration in healthcare settings.
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
Veterans Health Care: Services for Substance Use Disorders, and Efforts to Address Access Issues in Rural Areas
Identifies and compares the differences in the number of veterans, and the expenditures for veterans receiving substance use disorder (SUD) services, and specialty SUD services in rural and urban areas. Veterans Health Administration (VHA) policies were reviewed, interviews were conducted with agency officials, and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) data from 2014 to 2018 was analyzed to develop the report.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2019
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
Partnership Integration for Rural Health Resource Access
Describes an interdisciplinary partnership model combining nursing, public health, and gerontology to address the health and social challenges affecting older adults living in rural areas. Offers steps for developing an interdisciplinary partnership and highlights a model utilizing clinical and non-clinical disciplines to improve rural health resource access.
Author(s): Teresa Sharp, Joyce Weil, Audrey Snyder, et al.
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 19(4), 5335
Date: 11/2019
view details
Development, Acceptability, Appropriateness and Appeal of a Cancer Clinical Trials Implementation Intervention for Rural- and Minority-Serving Urology Practices
Describes an implementation intervention for urologists in rural and minority serving community practices to increase their participation in clinical trials supporting the development of new cancer therapies. Compares the acceptability of the intervention among a diverse group of urology practices in the South and Midwest United States.
Author(s): Shellie Ellis, Mugur Geana, Tomas Griebling, et al.
Citation: Trials, 20(1), 578
Date: 10/2019
view details
Georgia Physician Workforce Report: Based on 2017-2018 Licensure Renewal Data and New Licensees, Primary Care and Core Specialties
Measures and tracks trends in physician demographics, supply, and distribution, using data from January 2017 to December 2018. Features county-level maps and statistics for all Georgia physicians and those specializing in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN, general surgery, psychiatry, and emergency medicine, with breakdowns by metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas.
Date: 10/2019
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce
view details
Telelactation via Mobile App: Perspectives of Rural Mothers, Their Care Providers, and Lactation Consultants
Analyzes the efficacy of direct-to-consumer (DTC) telelactation services in rural Pennsylvania in areas that lack in-person availability of international board-certified lactation consultants (IBCLCs). Discusses potential challenges such as lack of personal relationships, preference for local resources, and limited WiFi in rural areas. Reflects on potential benefits including access to support and increased maternal breastfeeding confidence.
Author(s): Jill Demirci, Virginia Kotzias, Debra L. Bogen, Kristin N. Ray, Lori Uscher-Pines
Citation: Telemedicine Journal and E-Health, 25(9), 853-858
Date: 09/2019
view details