scholarly journals Digital technologies and rural healthcare: the Cumbria Rural Health Forum

2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison Marshall ◽  
Tom Bell
Keyword(s):  
Rural Health ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Rural Healthcare

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.

scholarly journals Increasing nursing student interest in rural healthcare: lessons from a rural rotation program in Democratic Republic of the Congo

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Michaels-Strasser ◽  
Paul W. Thurman ◽  
Narcisse Mwinkeu Kasongo ◽  
Daniel Kapenda ◽  
John Ngulefac ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Students ◽  
Rural Health ◽  
Nursing Student ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Nursing Schools ◽  
Student Interest ◽  
Columbia University ◽  
Rural Healthcare ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
Rural Sites

Abstract Background Many challenges exist in providing equitable access to rural healthcare in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). WHO recommends student exposure to rural clinical rotations to promote interest in rural healthcare. Challenges to rural engagement include lack of adequate infrastructure and staff to lead rural education. This case report highlights key steps in developing a rural rotation program for DRC nursing students. Case presentation To implement a rural rotation (RR) program, ICAP at Columbia University (ICAP) consulted with students, the Ministries of Health (MoH) and Education (MoE), and nursing schools to pilot and expand a rural rotation program. Nursing schools agreed to place students in rural clinics and communities. Key stakeholders collaborated to assess and select rural sites based on availability of nursing mentors, educational resources, security, accessibility, and patient volume. To support this, 85 preceptors from 55 target schools and 30 rural health facilities were trained of which 30 were selected to be “master trainers”. These master trainers led the remaining 55 preceptors implementing the rural rotation program. We worked with rural facilities to engage community leaders and secure accommodation for students. A total of 583 students from five Lubumbashi schools and two rural schools outside Kinshasa participated across 16 rural sites (298 students in 2018–2019 school year and 285 in 2019–2020). Feedback from 274 students and 25 preceptors and nursing school leaders was positive with many students actively seeking rural assignments upon graduation. For example, 97% agreed or strongly agreed that their RR programs had strengthened their educational experience. Key challenges, however, were long-term financial support (35%) for rural rotations, adequate student housing (30%) and advocacy for expanding the rural workforce. Conclusions With nearly 600 participants, this project showed that a RR program is feasible and acceptable in resource-limited settings yet availability of ample student accommodation and increasing availability of rural jobs remain health system challenges. Using a multipronged approach to rural health investment as outlined by WHO over two decades ago remains essential. Attracting future nurses to rural health is necessary but not sufficient to achieve equitable health workforce distribution.

scholarly journals Promoting Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice in Rural Health Settings: Learnings from a State-Wide Multi-Methods Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 5162
Author(s):  
Priya Martin ◽  
Alison Pighills ◽  
Vanessa Burge ◽  
Geoff Argus ◽  
Lynne Sinclair
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Rural Health ◽  
Interprofessional Education ◽  
Collaborative Practice ◽  
System Level ◽  
Healthcare Outcomes ◽  
Rural Healthcare ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Australian State

Evidence is mounting regarding the positive effects of Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice (IPECP) on healthcare outcomes. Despite this, IPECP is only in its infancy in several Australian rural healthcare settings. Whilst some rural healthcare teams have successfully adopted an interprofessional model of service delivery, information is scarce on the factors that have enabled or hindered such a transition. Using a combination of team surveys and individual semi-structured team member interviews, data were collected on the enablers of and barriers to IPECP implementation in rural health settings in one Australian state. Using thematic analysis, three themes were developed from the interview data: IPECP remains a black box; drivers at the system level; and the power of an individual to make or break IPECP. Several recommendations have been provided to inform teams transitioning from multi-disciplinary to interprofessional models of service delivery.

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.

scholarly journals Agrarian Ideology Remnants and Rural Healthcare Organizational Behavior: Observations and Research Opportunities

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 125
Author(s):  
Asa B. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Rural Health ◽  
Economic Behavior ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Rural Healthcare ◽  
Survey Tool ◽  
Rural Agriculture ◽  
Root Cause ◽  
Participant Observer

<p><em>Rural health facilities, especially hospitals and critical access hospitals, have a troubled history, a challenging today, and a problematic future—a reality that is well documented. Despite public policy support and affiliation tactics, these entities continue to face conversion or closure threats. An enduring question is why these organizations continually struggle. Leading to a hypothesized answer, information gathered during participant-observer turnaround interventions in five rural facilities is categorized, labeled, and interpreted. Five clusters of organizational behaviors were identified. Each cluster is defined in terms of its agrarian root and discussed as a present-day remnant—a rural outlook or mindset. Each behavior cluster is considered in terms of its adverse impact on facility performance. This inductive study points to follow-up studies to: 1) operationalize the rural outlook with a survey tool and a large sample of rural facilities; 2) assess the rural outlook’s association with facility fiscal performance; 3) develop and test an economic behavior theory of the rural healthcare firm</em><em>;</em><em> and 4) establish a typology of rural agriculture-based communities. The root cause explanatory value of the rural outlook mindset and the proposed research are discussed in terms of strengthening rural health facilities.</em><strong></strong></p>

scholarly journals Identifying the Dimensions and Components of Quality Improvement of Education and Rural Health Workers’ Performance in Hormozgan, Iran

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehdi Bagheri ◽  
Beheshteh Shamsaei ◽  
Nader Gholi Ghourchian ◽  
Parivash Jafari
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Rural Health ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Rural Healthcare ◽  
Design And Implementation ◽  
Fuzzy Delphi ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

Background: Education focuses on strengthening the performance of employees while improvement prepares them for other positions in the organization. Objectives: The present study aimed to identify the dimensions and components of quality improvement of education and rural health workers in Hormozgan, Iran. Methods: The current applied-descriptive study reviewed education and improvement of rural healthcare workers (called “behvarz” in Persian) based on document study and Delphi methods. To this end, 10 researchers in the fields of rural healthcare workers, health experts, and skilled rural health workers were asked to participate. The sampling was based on the snowball method; the data were obtained and refined through the fuzzy Delphi method. Results: The results showed that the experts had an appreciable inclination for the design and implementation of education in the first phase with a mean of 0.8538, followed by social, cultural, and professional improvement with a mean of 0.8396. Also, among other dimensions, the highest level of education agreement was 0.840. In the second phase, the design and implementation component of education with a mean of 0.84 was in the first place. For the improvement component, the social, cultural, and professional improvement yielded a mean of 0.8521. Conclusions: The impact of both education and improvement on people’s general health should be highlighted more than ever. However, theoretical and practical deep study of qualitative education toward improving and promoting the health system is required.

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