Search

Background: Telehealth use has had widespread expansion and adoption over the past two years. This study aims to evaluate access to telehealth essentials (TE) using a novel metric. Methods: This single institute study surveyed outpatient surgical patients to determine their access to TE. Generalized linear mixed models were used to determine the relationship of demographic and county-level variables on access to four TE. Results: 138 patients were surveyed. Sixty-six (47.8%) were from Appalachian Kentucky. In the survey cohort, 122 (88.4%) had smart phones, 109 (80.7%) had devices with video messaging capabilities, 106 (80.9%) had cellular reception, and 112 (82.4%) had access to WiFi. Increasing age and Medicare insurance were the most consistent predictors of lack of access to TE. Conclusion: Rural Appalachian Kentucky has access to TE. Telehealth has the potential to decrease the healthcare inequity in rural populations, but incompletely address this inequity for the aging population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The National Lung Cancer Screening Trial (NLST) demonstrated the use of low dose helical computed tomography (LDCT) scans for lung cancer screening. However, the NLST was implemented in urban hospitals and prior to the Lung CT Screening Reporting and Data System (Lung-RADS). In this retrospective cohort study, 774 eligible patients received LDCT screening using Lung-RADS criteria. Eighty-four patients (10.9%) had subsequent testing performed compared to 24.2% in the NLST study. Of those with subsequent testing, 21.4% were diagnosed with lung cancer compared to only 4.6% in the NLST study. Lung-RADS significantly reduced unnecessary testing while identifying higher rates of lung cancer compared to the NLST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In rural America, the road to obtaining a liver transplant (LTX) often starts at the primary care provider's (PCP's) office. Patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) in rural communities experience lower rates of wait-listing and higher mortality. This study identifies issues related to the knowledge and perceptions of ESLD and LTX referral among PCPs in rural Kentucky (KY)., Methods: The study protocol involved relying upon a semistructured outline to explore the knowledge, attitude, and perceptions of PCPs toward ESLD and LTX referral among PCPs in rural KY. Inductive thematic analysis was utilized to identify, analyze, and report themes., Findings: From the focus group interviews, three themes were identified: medical culture, gaps in knowledge, and bias against those with self-induced causes of ESLD. Each theme illuminated barriers to referral for transplant evaluation., Conclusions: Knowledge gaps, attitudes in medical culture, and biases surrounding ESLD and LTX referral exist in community medicine practice. This highlights the importance of education, resources, and facilitation of LTX referral processes for PCPs., (© 2024 National Rural Health Association.)