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Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document

Veterans Affairs: Actions Needed to Improve Access to Care in the U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States
Examines how the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) estimates the population of veterans in the U.S. territories and freely associated states (FAS) to inform resource allocation and outreach needs. Describes how the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) monitors veterans' use of and access to healthcare services at VHA facilities in the U.S. territories. Discusses challenges veterans face in accessing VHA services in the U.S. territories and FAS and VA efforts to address these challenges. Offers recommendations to the VA and Department of Defense to assess the data sources in its model for estimating the veteran population and its travel benefits policies for territory veterans.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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A Look at the Latest Alcohol Death Data and Change Over the Last Decade
Describes findings from an analysis of 2012 to 2022 CDC WONDER data regarding trends in deaths caused by conditions directly attributable to alcohol consumption, also referred to as alcohol-induced deaths or alcohol deaths. Presents data on alcohol death rates in 2022 and over time by race and ethnicity, age, sex, state, and rurality. Discusses factors that may contribute to increases in alcohol deaths since 2012.
Author(s): Heather Saunders, Robin Rudowitz
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Interoperable Exchange of Patient Health Information Among U.S. Hospitals: 2023
Presents data on the degree to which hospitals engage in the four domains of interoperable exchange - send, receive, find, and integrate - as of 2023 and describes trends between 2018 and 2023. Analyzes the frequency that non-federal acute care hospitals engaged in interoperable exchange by hospital characteristics, including hospital size, system affiliation status, rural or urban location, and Critical Access Hospital (CAH) designation. Describes hospitals' ability to exchange electronic health information with other providers across the care continuum and how clinicians use this information about the point of care.
Author(s): Meghan Hufstader Gabriel, Chelsea Richwine, Catherine Strawley, Wesley Barker, Jordan Everson
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Discussions of Cancer Survivorship Care Needs: Are There Rural Versus Urban Inequities?
Analyzed 2017 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data to identify rural and urban differences in discussions of cancer survivorship care with their healthcare provider. Includes rural and urban comparisons of predisposing, enabling, and need factors associated with survivorship care discussions.
Author(s): Tyrone F. Borders, Lindsey Hammerslag
Citation: Medical Care, 2024
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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Chronic Cough Diagnosis, Treatment, and Referral Practices among Family Physicians in the United States: A Survey Study
Presents results of a survey of 588 family physicians on chronic cough management practices. Provides data on diagnosis, treatment, and referral, including breakdowns by years of practice and rural versus urban location. Discusses challenges associated with providing chronic cough care in rural primary care settings.
Author(s): Joel B. Shields, Elisabeth Callen, Natalia Y. Loskutova, Jonathan Schelfhout, Christina M. Hester
Citation: BMC Primary Care, 25, 181
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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Rural Health Network Development Planning Program: 2023 Grantee Directory
Detailed descriptions of 36 Rural Health Network Development Planning Program grant projects funded in fiscal year 2023. Lists grantees by organization type and focus area, including topics such as network organization and infrastructure development, increasing health system efficiencies, behavioral health, and telehealth. Includes grantee profiles describing their programs and network structures, geographic areas served, network partners, and contacts for each network.
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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Cohort Profile: The Assessing Imperial Valley Respiratory Health and the Environment (AIRE) Study
Details a prospective cohort study focused on examining the respiratory health effects of childhood exposures to wind-blown particulate matter (PM) in a rural area of California. Utilizes 2017-2019 data to observe asthmatic symptoms and other health indicators across sociodemographic categories. Discusses the impact of PM on childhood health and the potential for geographic disparities.
Author(s): Shohreh F. Farzan, Elizabeth Kamai, Dayane Duenas Barahona, et al.
Citation: Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 38(4), 359-369
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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The Rural Interprofessional Health Initiative
Provides an overview of the UNC Rural Interprofessional Health Initiative (RIPHI), a workforce initiative focused on collaboration between healthcare professionals and students in rural North Carolina. Describes the RIPHI's growth, goals, achievements, and lessons learned since the initiative's start in 2017. Discusses the value of rural experience for health professions students.
Author(s): Meg Zomorodi, Lorraine Alexander, Philip T. Rodgers
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 85(3), 188-190
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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School-Based Health Centers as an Approach to Address Health Disparities among Rural Youth: A Study Protocol for a Multilevel Research Framework
Describes a study protocol to evaluate the impact of school-based health centers (SBHCs) on healthcare utilization, health outcomes, and education in rural, disadvantaged New York counties. Discusses risk factor identification and data collection at the individual, school district, and community levels.
Author(s): Xue Zhang, Mildred E. Warner, Sharon Tennyson, et al.
Citation: PLoS ONE, 19(5), e0303660
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
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Characteristics of the Current Dental Assistant and Expanded Function Dental Auxiliary Workforces in Washington State
Results of a survey of 1,240 dental assistants (DAs) and 113 expanded function dental auxiliaries (EFDAs), to describe the supply, distribution, and characteristics of DAs and EFDAs in Washington. Features demographics, a county-level map showing numbers of registered DAs with Washington addresses per 100,000 population, and statistics on residence with breakdowns by urban or rural location.
Author(s): Samantha W. Pollack, Grace A. Guenther, Benjamin A. Stubbs, et al.
Date: 05/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: UW Center for Health Workforce Studies, Washington Oral Health Workforce
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