Healthcare Access in Rural Communities – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Healthcare Access in Rural Communities.
Access to Health Care in Rural America: Current Trends and Key Challenges
Highlights patterns in insurance coverage and uninsurance rates in rural and urban areas, explores non-financial challenges in accessing care faced by rural residents, and describes disparities in health outcomes between urban and rural areas. Features statistics on number of uninsured rural non-elderly adults by state, in 2010 and 2023.
Author(s): Gina Turrini, Eden Volkov, Christie Peters, Nancy De Lew, Thomas Buchmueller
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Highlights patterns in insurance coverage and uninsurance rates in rural and urban areas, explores non-financial challenges in accessing care faced by rural residents, and describes disparities in health outcomes between urban and rural areas. Features statistics on number of uninsured rural non-elderly adults by state, in 2010 and 2023.
Author(s): Gina Turrini, Eden Volkov, Christie Peters, Nancy De Lew, Thomas Buchmueller
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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'A Silent, Unmet Need': Rural Motherhood and the Challenges of Postpartum Care
Discusses the importance of rural access to postpartum care, including perinatal mental healthcare. Features programs in Montana, Maine, and Alaska that are providing support to rural mothers via postpartum doulas, telehealth, and home visiting.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Discusses the importance of rural access to postpartum care, including perinatal mental healthcare. Features programs in Montana, Maine, and Alaska that are providing support to rural mothers via postpartum doulas, telehealth, and home visiting.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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The Intersection of Travel Burdens and Financial Hardship in Cancer Care: A Scoping Review
Examines the relationship among rurality, access to cancer care, travel burdens, and financial hardship. Identifies 95 studies published since 1995 related to cancer-related travel and financial burdens and discusses the impact on patient health outcomes and quality of life.
Author(s): Arrianna Marie Planey, Lisa P. Spees, Caitlin B. Biddell, et al.
Citation: JNCI Cancer Spectrum
Date: 10/2024
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Examines the relationship among rurality, access to cancer care, travel burdens, and financial hardship. Identifies 95 studies published since 1995 related to cancer-related travel and financial burdens and discusses the impact on patient health outcomes and quality of life.
Author(s): Arrianna Marie Planey, Lisa P. Spees, Caitlin B. Biddell, et al.
Citation: JNCI Cancer Spectrum
Date: 10/2024
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Travel Burden and Bypassing Closest Site for Surgical Cancer Treatment for Urban and Rural Oncology Patients
Examines travel burden to surgical cancer care and its relationship to rurality, bypassing of the nearest surgical site, and mortality rates. Analyzes 2016-218 data of 211,025 Medicare beneficiaries with cancer and includes breakdowns for type of cancer, surgery versus no surgery, patient demographics, patient health conditions, travel time, mortality rates, and location of metro, micro, or small town/rural.
Author(s): Tracy Onega, Niveditta Ramkumar, Gabriel A. Brooks, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health
Date: 10/2024
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Examines travel burden to surgical cancer care and its relationship to rurality, bypassing of the nearest surgical site, and mortality rates. Analyzes 2016-218 data of 211,025 Medicare beneficiaries with cancer and includes breakdowns for type of cancer, surgery versus no surgery, patient demographics, patient health conditions, travel time, mortality rates, and location of metro, micro, or small town/rural.
Author(s): Tracy Onega, Niveditta Ramkumar, Gabriel A. Brooks, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health
Date: 10/2024
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Improving Care and Accessibility for Rural Patients with Disabilities
Provides an overview of barriers to healthcare access for rural patients with disabilities. Shares insights from a public health department in Montana and a disability and health program in New Hampshire on how to improve accessibility and communication with patients with disabilities.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Provides an overview of barriers to healthcare access for rural patients with disabilities. Shares insights from a public health department in Montana and a disability and health program in New Hampshire on how to improve accessibility and communication with patients with disabilities.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S. 2024
Explores maternal healthcare access and provides county-level U.S. maps that show maternity care deserts, hospitals that offer obstetric (OB) care, distribution of OB providers, travel time to maternity care, chronic conditions of birthing people, social drivers of health, and more. Includes rural versus urban characteristics of the maternal health workforce as well as access and policy discussions specific to rural areas.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: March of Dimes
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Explores maternal healthcare access and provides county-level U.S. maps that show maternity care deserts, hospitals that offer obstetric (OB) care, distribution of OB providers, travel time to maternity care, chronic conditions of birthing people, social drivers of health, and more. Includes rural versus urban characteristics of the maternal health workforce as well as access and policy discussions specific to rural areas.
Date: 09/2024
Sponsoring organization: March of Dimes
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Is Access to Optimal Concussion Care for Pediatric Athletes Limited by Geography?
Examines access to optimal concussion care for pediatric patients in metro and rural areas of the United States. Analyzes internet searches written as "concussion care near me" originating from one rural area and one metro area in each state to observe distance to care, if available clinic treats pediatric patients, and if care allows for self-referral and/or is multidisciplinary. Includes data from select states and representative regions across the country.
Author(s): Ryan Powers, Robert Trevino, Holly Erpenbach, Danny Thomas
Citation: Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine 34(5), 425-429
Date: 09/2024
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Examines access to optimal concussion care for pediatric patients in metro and rural areas of the United States. Analyzes internet searches written as "concussion care near me" originating from one rural area and one metro area in each state to observe distance to care, if available clinic treats pediatric patients, and if care allows for self-referral and/or is multidisciplinary. Includes data from select states and representative regions across the country.
Author(s): Ryan Powers, Robert Trevino, Holly Erpenbach, Danny Thomas
Citation: Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine 34(5), 425-429
Date: 09/2024
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Use of Telehealth to Improve Healthcare Access and Outcomes in Surgical Oncology
Explores the role of telehealth in improving healthcare access and outcomes in surgical oncology. Discusses geographic barriers to surgical oncology interventions how telehealth can help mitigate barriers to access. Highlights strategies to improve telehealth access and adoption.
Author(s): Elliot A. Asare, Lauren Cowan, Tracy Onega
Citation: Journal of Surgical Oncology
Date: 08/2024
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Explores the role of telehealth in improving healthcare access and outcomes in surgical oncology. Discusses geographic barriers to surgical oncology interventions how telehealth can help mitigate barriers to access. Highlights strategies to improve telehealth access and adoption.
Author(s): Elliot A. Asare, Lauren Cowan, Tracy Onega
Citation: Journal of Surgical Oncology
Date: 08/2024
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Sociodemographic Differences in Nonfinancial Access Barriers to Health Care Among Adults: United States, 2022
Examines nonfinancial reasons adults delay medical care, such as work or other time commitments, lack of available appointments, not having access to clinic or provider hours, difficulty finding provider match for insurance, and length of time to get to provider's office. Utilizes 2022 National Health Interview Survey to break down healthcare access barriers according to sex, age, race/ethnicity, family income, education, employment, insurance status, and urbanization level, including large central metropolitan, large fringe metropolitan, medium and small metropolitan, or nonmetropolitan.
Author(s): Amanda E. Ng, Dzifa Adjaye-Gbewonyo, James M. Dahlhamer
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Examines nonfinancial reasons adults delay medical care, such as work or other time commitments, lack of available appointments, not having access to clinic or provider hours, difficulty finding provider match for insurance, and length of time to get to provider's office. Utilizes 2022 National Health Interview Survey to break down healthcare access barriers according to sex, age, race/ethnicity, family income, education, employment, insurance status, and urbanization level, including large central metropolitan, large fringe metropolitan, medium and small metropolitan, or nonmetropolitan.
Author(s): Amanda E. Ng, Dzifa Adjaye-Gbewonyo, James M. Dahlhamer
Date: 08/2024
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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Geographic Variation in Shortfalls of Dementia Specialists in the United States
Reports on distribution of dementia specialists to identify potential dementia care shortage areas for the older adult population. Discusses the impact on rural residents.
Author(s): Jodi L. Liu, Lawrence Baker, Annie Yu-An Chen, Jue (Jessie) Wang
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 2(7)
Date: 07/2024
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Reports on distribution of dementia specialists to identify potential dementia care shortage areas for the older adult population. Discusses the impact on rural residents.
Author(s): Jodi L. Liu, Lawrence Baker, Annie Yu-An Chen, Jue (Jessie) Wang
Citation: Health Affairs Scholar, 2(7)
Date: 07/2024
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Last Updated: 10/31/2024