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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Technology for health and human services

Mental Health Outcomes Among Patients Living in US Counties Lacking Broadband Access and Psychiatrists
Presents a study on mental health access for people who live in counties without psychiatrists and broadband coverage. Discusses the expansion of telehealth services for mental healthcare and consultation. Aims to evaluate mental health access in mostly rural counties with a workforce shortage and a lack of broadband access.
Author(s): Tarun Ramesh, Ryan K. McBain, Jonathan H. Cantor, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(9), e2333781
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
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State of Mississippi: Five Year Action Plan: Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi (BEAM) Program
Provides overview of the Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi Office's Five-Year Action Plan, covering 2023 through 2028, for providing high-speed internet service throughout the state. Includes information on existing programs and funding, administrative structure, partnerships, data gathering, and more. Includes county level data both statewide and in the Delta Region for Mississippi.
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi
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Adult Obesity in Rural America: An Examination of the Relationships Between Obesity Prevalence, Sociodemographic Factors, Access to Care, and Differences Between Rural and Urban Counties
Provides an overview of obesity prevalence in rural versus urban counties. Analyzes factors related to obesity such as education, income, physical inactivity, healthcare workforce, and food, internet, and healthcare access. Includes case studies and data related to obesity prevalence in Texas and Arkansas.
Additional links: Appendix, Executive Summary
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: NORC at the University of Chicago
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Rural New York: Challenges and Opportunities
Provides comparative data for the 10 rural counties in New York. Discusses issues such as transportation, aging and overall declining population, shrinking labor force, and lack of access to adequate housing, food, healthcare, and broadband.
Author(s): Thomas P. DiNapoli
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of the New York State Comptroller
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Rural Health: Pathway to Progress
Presents insights and perspectives from four rural healthcare leaders. Describes strategies for overcoming workforce challenges, increasing access to specialty care, and addressing cost pressures. Requires registration to download.
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Reuters Events
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Evaluation of Technology Modernization for SNAP Benefit Redemption Through Online Transactions: Final Evaluation Report
Examines operations of the online purchasing pilot (OPP) that allowed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) retailers to redeem benefits online. Analyzes data from the pilot launch in April 2019 and through the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on online purchasing differences between urban and rural populations, frequency of use, and delivery options of participants.
Additional links: Summary
Author(s): Michele Mendelson, Ayesha Enver, Shannon Hitchcock, et al.
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Food and Nutrition Service
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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
Type: Document
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Addressing Social Needs through Medicaid: Lessons from Planning and Early Implementation of North Carolina's Healthy Opportunities Pilots
Results of a study to generate findings and recommendations from the planning, capacity-building, and early implementation of the Healthy Opportunities Pilots program. Focuses on the health-related social needs of North Carolina Medicaid enrollees living in three primarily rural regions of the state.
Author(s): Katie M. Huber, William K. Bleser, Rebecca G. Whiteaker, et al.
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, Milbank Memorial Fund
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Rural Health Value Summit: Driving Value Through Community-Based Partnerships
Provides an overview of a June 2023 summit regarding the intersection of rural providers and communities, value-based care and payment models, and social determinants of health (SDOH). Describes the efforts of Arkansas, Michigan, Oregon, and South Carolina communities that had representatives at the summit. Discusses opportunities for policymakers, payers, and health system leaders to build and support infrastructure to address social determinants of health in rural communities and offers possible next steps.
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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Characteristics of Short-Term Acute Care Hospitals That Experienced a Ransomware Attack from 2016 to 2021
Analyzed short-term acute care hospitals experiencing a ransomware attack between 2016 and 2019 to identify characteristics associated with an attack. Considered variables such as rurality, various financial characteristics, information technology infrastructure, and more. Includes recommendation for future research regarding rural impacts.
Author(s): Claire C. McGlave, Sayeh S. Nikpay, Carrie Henning-Smith, Katie Rydberg, Hannah T. Neprash
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 1(3)
Date: 09/2023
Type: Document
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