Exploring Opportunities to Leverage Pharmacists in Rural Areas to Promote Administration of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine

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Abstract

Rural pharmacists have been identified as potential partners, along with health care providers, schools, and public health agencies, in administering and promoting the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. We sought to understand the role of pharmacists in this work. We interviewed 11 pharmacists working at independently owned pharmacies in Iowa to explore their perspectives on HPV vaccine administration and promotion. Most pharmacists agreed that HPV vaccination was within their professional scope. They identified factors that facilitate vaccine administration (eg, accessibility of pharmacies). They also reported personal barriers (eg, lack of information, concerns about safety) and organizational barriers (eg, time and staff capacity). Future work should focus on alleviating barriers and building on strengths to improve vaccination rates and ultimately prevent HPV-related cancers.

Read the full report here

Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP

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March 13, 2020

This report presents the Commission’s analysis of three policy issues of interest
to Congress:
• Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) payments that support
the nation’s safety-net hospitals;
• state reporting on the quality of care provided to individuals with either
Medicaid or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), as
required under the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes
Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act of
2018 (P.L. 115-271) and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-
123); and
• the timeliness and quality of evaluations of Medicaid demonstrations.

Access the full report here.

Vital Signs: Colorectal Cancer Screening Test Use — United States, 2018

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From The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report

Summary

What is already known about this topic?

Screening for colorectal cancer (CRC), the second leading cause of cancer death among cancers affecting men and women, reduces incidence and mortality. The percentage of persons who report being up to date with CRC screening has increased, but not equally among all populations. Continue reading the full report

Management Checklist for Teleworking Surge During the COVID-19 Response

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While teleworking has become a routine way of doing business in many industry sectors and
government, teleworking during wide-scale public emergencies such as what we are experiencing with
the emergence of the COVID-19 virus introduces significant management, technology and bandwidth
challenges to ensuring uninterrupted and efficient workflow and provision of services to the public.
Added strain on the public telecommunications infrastructure over the “last mile” to the home, in
particular, requires critical healthcare entities to assess risk, prioritize tasks and apportion bandwidth
resources to ensure continuity of mission-essential functions that may migrate off premises to the home
office environment. Continue reading.

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Request

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March 18, 2020

SUMMARY:

For the “Opioid Management in Older Adults” project, AHRQ is seeking to identify innovative approaches to managing opioid medications for chronic pain that are particularly relevant for older adults. Use of long-term opioid therapy in older adults can be especially problematic because of increased risks such as delirium, falls, and dementia.

Learn how to submit here.

Epidemic Preparedness For Community Organizations

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From the Exension Disaster Education Network.

Community organizations, such as faith-based organizations and nonprofits, are instrumental before, during and after epidemics. This program walks organizations through a process to learn about potential epidemics, serve their members and serve their communities before, during and after an epidemic. Continue reading.

Occupancy Rates in Rural and Urban Hospitals: Value and Limitations in Use as a Measure of Surge Capacity

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March 25, 2020

As policymakers deal with the effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic on the hospital infrastructure, understanding the differences in occupancy rates between rural and urban hospitals may help state and local officials in their planning for dealing with surge demand. Historically, rural hospitals have reported lower occupancy rates than urban hospitals and more licensed than staffed beds. This may represent surge capacity for state and local officials to consider in responding to this crisis. The purpose of this brief is to describe variations in hospital occupancy rates nationally and by state, provide additional data for state and local officials, and highlight challenges in identifying surge capacity. Continue reading.