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Rural Health
Resources by Type: Document

Data Sources and Data-Linking Strategies to Support Research to Address the Opioid Crisis: Final Report
Identifies and describes secondary data sources that can be used in research and evaluations related to the opioid crisis. Discusses common approaches used to link or merge data sources. Describes research needs and challenges related to studying the opioid crisis.
Author(s): Rosanna Smart, Courtney Ann Kase, Amanda Meyer, Bradley D. Stein
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, RAND Corporation
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California's Physician Assistants: How Scope of Practice Laws Impact Care
Provides an overview of physician assistants (PAs), focusing on scope of practice regulations in California and evidence for expanding their scope of practice. Discusses how PAs increase access to care, particularly in rural areas, and summarizes studies on the quality and cost-effectiveness of the care they provide. Appendix A includes data on California's PAs, such as their distribution, demographics, and practice setting. Appendix B identifies physician assistant scope of practice elements for each state.
Author(s): Timothy Bates, Joanne Spetz, Miranda Werts
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Healthforce Center at UCSF
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National Food Affordability: A County-Level Analysis
Explores sociodemographic factors contributing to food affordability, with emphasis on differences between rural and urban areas. Features statistics on select food-related characteristics of U.S. counties, with breakdowns by rural or urban location and by Appalachian or Delta counties and other counties.
Author(s): Anne Cafer, Georgianna Mann, Sujith Ramachandran, Michelle Kaiser
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 15
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
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Rural–Urban Differences in Risk Factors for Motor Vehicle Fatalities
Compares differences in rural-urban motor vehicle fatalities and examines correlations with socioeconomic characteristics, demographics, and health behaviors.
Author(s): Carrie Henning-Smith, Katy B. Kozhimannil
Citation: Health Equity, 2(1), 260-263
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
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Veterans Choice Program: Further Improvements Needed to Help Ensure Timely Payments to Community Providers
Examines how long payments took for healthcare providers enrolled in the Veterans Choice Program and actions the Veterans Administration has taken to address these issues. The Veterans Choice Program was created to help increase veterans access to healthcare, particularly in rural areas.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Evidence-Based Interventions for Adolescent Opioid Use Disorder: What Might Work for High-Risk Ohio Counties?
Presents a study on interventions targeting Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) in adolescents in Ohio. Focuses on interventions aimed at 11-18 year olds in 3 counties containing both rural and urban communities. Features a literature review of OUD interventions for adolescents.
Author(s): Christal Ramos, Lisa Clemans-Cope, Haley Samuel-Jakubos, Luis Basurto
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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Tribal Broadband: Few Partnerships Exist and the Rural Utilities Service Needs to Identify and Address Any Funding Barriers Tribes Face
Examines tribal broadband access, federal funding to tribal entities for improving broadband access, and barriers to obtaining such federal funding. Identifies tribal partnership agreements that have increased broadband access and discusses the outcomes. Addresses challenges specific to rural areas and the healthcare benefits of broadband access.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Rural Hospital Closures: Number and Characteristics of Affected Hospitals and Contributing Factors
Examines rural hospital closures from 2013-2017, including their financial health, hospital characteristics, and the impact on healthcare access. Compares data to 2008-2012 closures and discusses the implications for federal healthcare policies. Addresses the role of Medicare rural hospital designations, new healthcare delivery and payment models, and other rural Health and Human Services (HHS) programs. Identifies the number of rural hospitals that closed for each state.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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America's Eating Habits: Food Away From Home
Examines how eating out and the availability of food options affect U.S. diets. Addresses rural/urban differences, socioeconomic factors, and relevant federal programs. Covers school lunch programs, quick-service restaurants, and full-service restaurants, including maps showing restaurant availability and growth by county.
Author(s): Michelle J. Saksena, Abigail M. Okrent, Tobenna D. Anekwe, et al.
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Any Use and Frequent Use of Opioids among Non-elderly Adults in 2015-2016, by Socioeconomic Characteristics
Details a study on the rate of opioid prescribing for adults under the age of 65 from 2015-2016. Presents data regarding poverty status, race, and whether prescription was filled in a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) or not, among other factors.
Author(s): G. Edward Miller, Asako S. Moriya
Date: 09/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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