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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Veterans

Virtual Care Expansion in the Veterans Health Administration during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Clinical Services and Patient Characteristics Associated with Utilization
Presents results of a study of virtual care use in the Veterans Health Administration during the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Reports statistics for previous and current virtual care use, method of care delivery, and type of care. Compares demographic groups, including urban, rural, and highly rural veterans, and identifies factors associated with virtual care use.
Author(s): Jacqueline M Ferguson, Josephine Jacobs, Maria Yefimova, et al
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 28(3), 453-462
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
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Coordination of Veterans Services in Pennsylvania: A Task Force and Advisory Committee Report
Describes networks of services available to Pennsylvania veterans, examines how accessible these services are, and offers recommendations for improvement to ensure that veterans get the assistance and care to which they are entitled. Includes a section on rural veterans and the challenges they face in accessing healthcare.
Author(s): Frank M. Lill, Glenn J. Pasewicz, Grant Rosul, Wendy L. Baker
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Joint State Government Commission, General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
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Factors Affecting Adoption of Coordinated Anxiety Learning and Management (CALM) in Veterans' Affairs Community-Based Outpatient Clinics
Explores the efficacy of a training program designed to educate rural providers on evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) in VHA affiliated clinics. Details the barriers and facilitators of the program in rural areas and features the perspectives of providers who participated in the program.
Author(s): Anthony H. Ecker, Traci H. Abraham, Lindsey A. Martin, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(2), 447-455
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
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Behavioral Health Care in the Military Health System: Access and Quality for Remote Service Members
Explores the role geographic location plays in access to behavioral healthcare for service members through the Military Health System (MHS). Highlights the challenges of rural service members to access care for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance use disorder through MHS. Breaks down data by age, race, gender, and remote versus non-remote location, among other measures.
Additional links: Full Report
Author(s): Kimberly A. Hepner, Ryan Andrew Brown, Carol P. Roth, et al.
Date: 03/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Video Telehealth Expands Care for Veterans with Multiple Sclerosis
Features a report on promising practices in providing access to care for rural veterans with multiple sclerosis (MS) via video-based telehealth. Details the traditional barriers to care for MS patients in rural areas and how the video telehealth model can help patients overcome them.
Date: 02/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health
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Increasing Rural Patient Access Using Clinical Pharmacy Specialist Providers: Successful Practice Integration Within the Department of Veterans Affairs
Highlights a study on the efficacy of the Veterans Affairs' clinical pharmacy specialist program in improving rural access to care. Evaluates outcomes in primary care, mental health, and pain management.
Author(s): Julie A Groppi, Heather Ourth, Michael Tran, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 78(8), 712-719
Date: 02/2021
Type: Document
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Telehealth in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Rural Veteran and Military Beneficiaries
Presents a study on the use of telehealth to provide mental healthcare to rural veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses the Veterans Health Administration and the Defense Health Agency's use of telehealth and telemental health and their effectiveness in treating rural veterans.
Author(s): Robert D. Shura, Timothy W. Brearly, Larry A. Tupler
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(1), 200-204
Date: 01/2021
Type: Document
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Flattening the Curve by Getting Ahead of It: How the VA Healthcare System Is Leveraging Telehealth to Provide Continued Access to Care for Rural Veterans
Describes the Veterans Health Administration's efforts to use telehealth to provide behavioral health services to rural veterans affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Author(s): Ursula S. Myers, Anna Birks, Anouk L. Grubaugh, R. Neal Axon
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(1), 194-196
Date: 01/2021
Type: Document
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Virtual Care QUERI Program: Improve Access to Care for Rural Veterans
Presents information on the VA's Virtual Care QUERI Program, which provides mental healthcare for rural veterans via telehealth services at home or through community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs). Highlights program information, implementation strategies, and potential impacts.
Date: 2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
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Serving Rural Veterans with Disabilities: A National Survey of Centers for Independent Living
Describes results of a 2019 survey exploring how Centers for Independent Living (CILs) serve veterans in rural communities. Discusses CIL collaborations with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, specific needs of rural veterans, and how CILs could better meet these needs.
Author(s): Jennifer Hale-Gallardo, Consuelo M. Kreider, Yuxin Ni, et al.
Citation: Journal of Community Health, 46(4), 740-751
Date: 2021
Type: Document
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