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Healthcare Access in Rural Communities – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Healthcare Access in Rural Communities.

Changes in Marketplace Premiums and Insurer Participation, 2022-2023
Examines changes in Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Marketplace premiums and insurer participation between 2022 and 2023. Reports on changes in average lowest silver premiums in the Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplaces from 2019 to 2022 by state. Includes tables for select states with select urban and rural regional data.
Author(s): John Holahan, Erik Wengle, Claire O'Brien
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Urban Institute
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Inequitable Access to General and Behavioral Healthcare in the US During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Role for Telehealth?
Examines general and behavioral healthcare access and disparities during the first year of the pandemic, using data from the 2019–2020 U.S. National Alcohol Survey and its COVID follow-up survey conducted January 30 to March 28, 2021. Explores the role of telehealth in providing an important bridge to healthcare for certain medically underserved groups during the pandemic. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural location.
Author(s): Nina Mulia, Yu Ye, Thomas K. Greenfield, et al.
Citation: Preventive Medicine, 169
Date: 04/2023
Type: Document
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Health Care Coverage, Affordability, and Access Among Rural and Urban Adults Ages 50 to 64
Examines differences in healthcare coverage, affordability, and access trends among rural and urban adults aged 50-64 between 2012 and 2019. Explores possible factors driving healthcare coverage disparities. Offers policy recommendations to improve access to coverage and affordable healthcare among older adults, especially those in rural areas.
Author(s): Olivia Dean, Beth Carter, Robert C. Saunders, et al.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: AARP Public Policy Institute, KNG Health
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A Novel Cardio-Oncology Service Line Model in Optimizing Care Access, Quality and Equity for Large, Multi-Hospital Health Systems
Examines the impact of establishing an academic cardio-oncology service line model for a large, multi-hospital health system to improve access and equity, with rural populations as a primary focus. Discusses multidisciplinary approach, infrastructure elements, quality control, central governance, creation of protocols, and establishment of a cardio-oncology registry.
Author(s): Yan Liu
Citation: Cardio-Oncology, 9, 16
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
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Rural Working-Age Adults Report More Cost Barriers to Health Care
Policy brief examining rural-urban differences in affordability of care and cost-saving strategies among adults ages 18-64. Features demographics and statistics on prescription drug cost-saving measures and difficulty affording medical care in the past year, with breakdowns by rural and urban location.
Author(s): Erika C. Ziller, Carly Milkowski, Amanda Burgess
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Maine Rural Health Research Center
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Access to Health Services Across Rural and Urban Minoritized Racial/Ethnic Group Areas
Summarizes results from a series of reports documenting disparities in access to health services nationwide across ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) categorized by rurality and racial and ethnic composition. Presents data on the distance to care from the population center of rural and urban ZCTAs to the nearest provider. Covers first line, higher acuity, and home-based services.
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural and Minority Health Research Center (formerly the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center)
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Implementation of a Women's Reproductive Behavioral Health Telemedicine Program: A Qualitative Study of Barriers and Facilitators In Obstetric and Pediatric Clinics
Results of a study exploring a South Carolina telemedicine program for the treatment of Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders and Perinatal Substance Use Disorders in obstetric and pediatric providers in the outpatient community practice setting. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban or rural location.
Author(s): Katherine R. Sterba, Emily E. Johnson, Edie Douglas, et al.
Citation: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 23, 167
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
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Rates of Primary Care and Integrated Mental Health Telemedicine Visits Between Rural and Urban Veterans Affairs Beneficiaries Before and After the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Shares the results of a study examining changes over time in rural-urban differences in telemedicine use for primary care and mental health integration services among Veterans Affairs (VA) beneficiaries. Uses data from 138 VA healthcare systems from March 2019 to December 2021. Features demographics and statistics with breakdowns by visit type and rural or urban area.
Author(s): Lucinda B. Leung, Caroline Yoo, Karen Chu, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(3)
Date: 03/2023
Type: Document
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Impact of Tele-Emergency Consultations on Pediatric Interfacility Transfers: A Cluster-Randomized Crossover Trial
Results of a study examining the use of pediatric critical care telemedicine compared with telephone consultations associated with transfer rates of acutely ill children from community and rural emergency departments. Features statistics including baseline characteristics and disposition of patients in the telemedicine and telephone groups.
Author(s): James P. Marcin, Hadley S. Sauers-Ford, Jamie L. Mouzoon, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(2)
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
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Rural Population Health in the United States: A Chartbook
Presents rural population health data by Census region and state, with some data by sex, race, and ethnicity. Includes U.S. maps showing county-level data as well as a variety of charts, including rural-urban disparity charts, state summary charts, and more. Topics addressed include access to care, health outcomes and risks, mortality, social determinants of health, and socioeconomic data.
Author(s): Randy Randolph, Sharita Thomas, Mark Holmes, et al.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Rural Health Research Program
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Last Updated: 4/3/2024