scholarly journals Telehealth in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: Implications for rural health disparities

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (11) ◽  
pp. 1816-1818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly A Hirko ◽  
Jean M Kerver ◽  
Sabrina Ford ◽  
Chelsea Szafranski ◽  
John Beckett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Disparities ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Health ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Healthcare Access ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Rural Healthcare ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Hospital Systems

Abstract Telehealth programs have long held promise for addressing rural health disparities perpetuated by inadequate healthcare access. The COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic and accompanying social distancing measures have hastened the implementation of telehealth programs in hospital systems around the globe. Here, we provide specific examples of telehealth efforts that have been implemented in a large rural healthcare system in response to the pandemic, and further describe how the massive shift to telehealth and reliance on virtual connections in these times of social isolation may impact rural health disparities for those without access to necessary broadband to deploy digital technologies. Finally, we provide recommendations for researchers and policymakers to ensure that telehealth initiatives do not amplify existing health disparities experienced by those living in rural communities.

Recruitment and Retention of Healthcare Professionals for the Changing Demographics, Culture, and Access in Canada

2011 ◽  
pp. 96-111
Author(s):  
Stéfane M. Kabene ◽  
Melody Wolfe ◽  
Raymond Leduc
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Human Resources Management ◽  
Healthcare Access ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Remote Access ◽  
Changing Demographics

The Canadian healthcare system strives to serve a population altered by ever-changing demographics, cultural shifts, and diverse societal populations, and to serve those in rural communities with remote access to health care. The following chapter examines Canada’s current healthcare system and the effects on demand for services and the supply of healthcare providers created by the need to service rural populations, by limited access to medical schools, and by the introduction of foreign medical/health professionals. More specifically, the chapter reviews the symptoms of a strained medical system plagued by “brain waste” due to the non-use of qualified immigrant healthcare professionals, long wait times as a result of inadequate staffing and resources, and a school system that hinders the development of aspiring medical care professionals from rural and international areas. If Canada is to face these challenges with efficacy and vigour, effective human resources management techniques and competent human resources professionals are a necessary prologue. Medical knowledge and skill must be valued; healthcare professionals should be utilized more efficiently to improve healthcare access and minimize brain waste.

scholarly journals Supported rural pre-medicine: a descriptive evaluation of a novel undergraduate program’s first cohorts

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara McEwen ◽  
Takaia Larsen ◽  
Elizabeth Lund ◽  
Jonathan Vanderhoek
Keyword(s):  
Health Disparities ◽  
Medical School ◽  
Rural Health ◽  
Program Improvement ◽  
Health Science ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Rural Healthcare

Implication Statement Selkirk College’s Rural Pre-Medicine (RPM) program launched in 2014 as a unique undergraduate initiative designed to increase the number of students who prepare for future careers in rural healthcare and, in the longterm, to play a role in reducing rural health disparities. Preliminary evaluation indicates most students in the program have rural backgrounds and the majority of graduates with follow-up data go on to further health science programming, including medical school. Challenges with retention have been identified. RPM is committed to ongoing program improvement and to providing a model for similar programs in other jurisdictions. 

scholarly journals Society of behavioral medicine statement on COVID-19 and rural health

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Behrman ◽  
Marian L Fitzgibbon ◽  
Akilah Dulin ◽  
Monica L Wang ◽  
Monica Baskin
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Behavioral Medicine ◽  
Standardized Testing ◽  
Rural Health ◽  
Health Inequities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Rural Healthcare ◽  
Broadband Internet

Abstract This position statement provides researchers, practitioners, and policymakers an overview of pre-existing and COVID-related rural health inequities in the United States (U.S.) and how they have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Health deserts,” defined as “large areas with inadequate or nonexistent medical and trauma facilities,” are common in rural regions of the U.S. While telehealth could address some of these health-related inequities, significant gaps in broadband Internet availability are also common in these more remote areas. The Society of Behavioral Medicine urges Congress to authorize increased funding to rural healthcare facilities and staffing, along with the development of enhanced broadband Internet infrastructure. In addition, incentivizing rural healthcare systems to deliver value-based care could enhance their capacity to implement population health and behavioral health strategies. To stem the spread of COVID-19 in higher-risk rural-based industries (e.g., food processing plants), SBM urges Congress to require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to routinely inspect for and enforce COVID-19 mitigation procedures, such as provision of effective Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to all front-line workers and consistent implementation of standardized testing and social distancing advisories. The context of rural communities underscores the importance of tailored approaches to mitigate rural health inequities and promote the well-being of rural residents.

Recruitment and Retention of Healthcare Professionals for the Changing Demographics, Culture, and Access in Canada

2012 ◽  
pp. 276-290
Author(s):  
Stefane M. Kabene ◽  
Melody Wolfe ◽  
Raymond Leduc
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Human Resources Management ◽  
Healthcare Access ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Remote Access ◽  
Changing Demographics

The Canadian healthcare system strives to serve a population altered by ever-changing demographics, cultural shifts, and diverse societal populations, and to serve those in rural communities with remote access to health care. The following chapter examines Canada’s current healthcare system and the effects on demand for services and the supply of healthcare providers created by the need to service rural populations, by limited access to medical schools, and by the introduction of foreign medical/health professionals. More specifically, the chapter reviews the symptoms of a strained medical system plagued by “brain waste” due to the non-use of qualified immigrant healthcare professionals, long wait times as a result of inadequate staffing and resources, and a school system that hinders the development of aspiring medical care professionals from rural and international areas. If Canada is to face these challenges with efficacy and vigour, effective human resources management techniques and competent human resources professionals are a necessary prologue. Medical knowledge and skill must be valued; healthcare professionals should be utilized more efficiently to improve healthcare access and minimize brain waste.

scholarly journals Tackling Rural Health, Energy, … and Technological Issues All at Once: A Call for a Global Interdisciplinary Platform for Strengthening Rural Setting Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Challenges ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 16
Author(s):  
Farshad Amiraslani
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Health ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Rural Setting ◽  
Global Challenges ◽  
Rural Settings ◽  
Research Studies

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has revealed flaws in rural settings where most people live without the necessary tools, income, and knowledge to tackle such unprecedented global challenges. Here, I argue that despite the research studies conducted on rural areas, these have not solved rising rural issues, notably poverty and illiteracy. I propound a global institute to be formed by governments that provides a platform for empowering rural communities through better training, skills, and competencies. Such global endeavour will ensure the remaining rural communities withstand future pandemics if they occur.

scholarly journals Co-Housing Response to Social Isolation of COVID-19 Outbreak, with a Focus on Gender Implications

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7203
Author(s):  
Emanuele Giorgi ◽  
Lucía Martín Martín López ◽  
Rubén Garnica-Monroy ◽  
Aleksandra Krstikj ◽  
Carlos Cobreros ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Social Impacts ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Open Spaces ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Design Considerations ◽  
Social Habits

COVID-19 forced billions of people to restructure their daily lives and social habits. Several research projects have focused on social impacts, approaching the phenomenon on the basis of different issues and scales. This work studies the changes in social relations within the well-defined urban-territorial elements of co-housing communities. The peculiarity of this research lies in the essence of these communities, which base their existence on the spirit of sharing spaces and activities. As social distancing represented the only effective way to control the outbreak, the research studied how the rules of social distancing impacted these communities. For this reason, a questionnaire was sent to 60 communities asking them to highlight the changes that the emergency imposed on the members in their daily life and in the organization of common activities and spaces. A total of 147 responses were received and some relevant design considerations emerged: (1) the importance of feeling part of a “safe” community, with members who were known and deemed reliable, when facing a health emergency; and (2) the importance of open spaces to carry out shared activities. Overall, living in co-housing communities was evaluated as an “extremely positive circumstance” despite the fact that the emergency worsened socialization.

Implementing Enhanced Primary Care Registered Nurse Reimbursement in Rural Health Clinics: A Policy Analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 152715442110119
Author(s):  
Tina Switzer ◽  
Erika Metzler Sawin ◽  
Melody Eaton ◽  
David Switzer ◽  
Christina Lam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Policy Analysis ◽  
Rural Health ◽  
Policy Option ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Rural Patient ◽  
Health Clinics ◽  
Sustainable Policy ◽  
Rural Health Clinics ◽  
Clinical Resource

Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) were created in 1977 to address the high health care needs, limited provider access, and poor health outcomes of rural Americans. Although innovative at their inception, the provider-centric model of RHC cost-based reimbursement structures has not evolved, leaving limited opportunities for change; many have failed. Comprehensive, proactive change is needed. Registered nurses (RNs) working at the top of their practice scope are a neglected clinical resource that can improve access, quality, value, and satisfaction for rural patient communities. RHC reimbursement policy must evolve to sustain and support this significant RN role. RNs have demonstrated value in care continuity and disease management, but there is little research on the utilization of RNs using their enhanced skill set in RHCs. Using the Bardach and Patashnik’s eight steps of policy analysis, the authors will describe the background and regulations of RHCs, identify current barriers to improving the health of America’s rural residents, and then provide evidence to support a new policy option according to the Quadruple Aim framework. The result is a sustainable policy recommendation designed to best serve rural communities.

Automation of Pharmacy Systems: Experiences and Strategies of a Rural Healthcare System

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig Allan Kimble ◽  
Ashish Chandra
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare System ◽  
Rural Healthcare
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