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Rural Response to the Opioid Crisis – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Response to the Opioid Crisis.

SORH Response to the National Substance Use Disorder Crisis
Looks at the role of State Offices of Rural Health (SORHs) in state-level substance use disorder and opioid use disorder initiatives. Highlights the activities of SORHs in several states as case studies and details the lessons learned in those states.
Date: 10/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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Addressing a Crisis: Cross-Sector Strategies to Prevent Adolescent Substance Use and Suicide
Report discusses different methods for adolescent substance use and suicide prevention. Highlights rates of suicide and substance use, such as binge drinking, misuse of pain medication, and vaping. Explores differences in rates for youth in rural and urban areas.
Date: 10/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Trust for America's Health
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Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances among Office-Based Physicians, 2017
Examines rates of electronic prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS), with information by type of physician practice, including rural or urban location, practice size, practice ownership, physician specialty, and technology available. EPCS is mandated for Medicare Part D providers by 2021, through the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act.
Author(s): Sonal Parasrampuria, Martin Blanco, Wesley Barker
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Needs Assessment Methodologies in Determining Treatment Capacity for Substance Use Disorders: Final Report
Presents the results from an environmental scan reviewing the literature on needs assessment methods and substance use disorder (SUD) needs assessment reports representing diverse interests, including rural and urban areas, researchers, government agencies, and private consultants. Highlights best practices for conducting SUD needs assessments, identifies gaps and opportunities for improvement in the available data, and discusses why SUD needs assessments are necessary.
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Office of Disability, Aging and Long-Term Care Policy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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State Strategies to Address Opioid Use Disorder Among Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Infants Prenatally Exposed to Substances, Including Infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
Identifies state strategies to improve outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women with opioid use disorder and infants prenatally exposed to substances, including opioids. Discusses strategies focused on access to and coordination of quality services, including approaches such as telemedicine that are useful in rural areas. Also discusses strategies related to provider awareness and training and other topics.
Author(s): Charlan D. Kroelinger, Marion E. Rice, Shanna Cox, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 68(36), 777-783
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Acceptability of Safe Drug Consumption Spaces among People Who Inject Drugs in Rural West Virginia
Presents a study on the acceptability of safe consumption spaces among people who inject drugs in rural West Virginia. Breaks down data by demographic data, overdoses, and drugs used, among other characteristics.
Author(s): Allison O'Rourke, Rebecca Hamilton White, Ju Nyeong Park, et al.
Citation: Harm Reduction Journal, 16, 51
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
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Doctor Hopping and Doctor Shopping for Prescription Opioids Associated with Increased Odds of High‐Risk Use
Presents a study on doctor hopping by people with opioid use disorder. Defines doctor hopping, a variant of doctor shopping, and uses data from the Arkansas Prescription Drug Monitoring Program to illustrate the behavior and its outcomes. Compares doctor hopping and doctor shopping in both rural and urban areas.
Author(s): Sean G. Young, Corey J. Hayes, Jonathan Aram, Mark A. Tait
Citation: Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, 28(8), 1117–1124
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
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Urban-Rural Differences in Injury and Drug Overdose Death Rates: Data from the National Vital Statistics System
Webinar recording discusses two reports from the National Center for Health Statistics detailing mortality from injuries and opioids in rural versus urban areas. Features presentations by representatives from the National Center for Health Statistics.
Additional links: Audio Recording, PowerPoint Handout, Webinar Transcript
Date: 08/2019
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Report of Recommendations: Appalachian Regional Commission's Substance Abuse Advisory Council
Report outlines the recommendations of the ARC's Substance Abuse Advisory Council on designing and implementing a substance abuse recovery system in rural Appalachia. Details the need for workforce training and employment via support services post-treatment.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Appalachian Regional Commission
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Unclassified Drug Overdose Deaths in the Opioid Crisis: Emerging Patterns of Inequity
Presents a study that explores correlations between certain geographic, economic, or demographic characteristics and missing data pertaining to drug overdose deaths. Looks at unclassified drug overdose deaths and breaks down data by sex, age, race, and economic status, among other factors. Depicts overdose mortality data in nationwide, county-level maps.
Author(s): Andrew J Boslett, Alina Denham, Elaine L Hill, Meredith C B Adams
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 26(8-9), 767–777
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
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Last Updated: 4/15/2024