Rural Health Regions Research Articles

What is in a space? Exploring experiences providing or receiving patient care in unique spaces for patients waiting to transition to their next point of care in Ontario, Canada

Introduction: Delayed discharge is a key challenge for health systems globally. Pandemic-related capacity pressures on hospitals have increasingly led to patients being moved to unique spaces (overflow units, hotels) while they wait to transition to their next point of care. However, it is unclear how patient care is managed and coordinated in these spaces or how patients and caregivers experience care in these environments.
 Rationale/Objective: Our study aimed to understand how to optimize care experiences and outcomes for patients with a delayed discharge, their families and care providers. The purpose of our study was to learn about people’s experiences in unique spaces, including what works well and what needs to improve. 
 Methods: Using a qualitative descriptive design, we conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with patients/caregivers (n=9) and care providers (n=20; e.g., nurses, rehabilitation therapists, physicians, discharge planners) who had experience with receiving or providing care in a unique space. We interviewed participants from three different unique spaces associated with a hospital across rural and urban health regions in Ontario, Canada: a hotel previously used for patient and caregiver accommodations while receiving care away from home (beside hospital), a structured, heated tent (hospital parking lot) and a clinical building (1 hour away from hospital). Interviews were transcribed and a codebook was developed and applied to all transcripts. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the transcripts, specifically focusing on key challenges and opportunities.
 Results: Patient, caregiver and care provider experiences in these unique spaces included positive aspects, such as care teams focused on facilitating integrated care transitions, the opportunity to develop a collaborative team culture from the ground up and having increased interdisciplinary patient assessments. Areas of improvement were also described across interviews, such as the need for adequate space and infrastructure for optimal patient care and safety, more integration of information sharing about patient care and journeys between and across providers, patients and caregivers, more resources and support from the associated hospital and clear patient eligibility criteria for care provider referrals.
 Lessons learned: Unique spaces have the potential to be alternate care settings when hospitals are managing capacity pressures now and in the future; however, hospitals considering moving patients with delayed discharge to these spaces should consider both the opportunities and benefits of providing care within these environments compared to traditional hospital units. It is also important for hospitals to understand the challenges associated with providing care in these settings and develop plans to mitigate these challenges. 
 Next steps: These findings provide learnings to inform a co-design initiative with patients, caregivers and care providers to identify best practices and resources for providing or receiving care in unique spaces that responds to patient needs as the health system continues to look to alternate care settings to ease pressures. This work will have implications on how integrated health care services are implemented in unique spaces so that patients experience a continuum of care both while they wait and as they transition to new points of care.

Elucidating survival and functional outcomes in patients with primary head and neck malignancies treated in academic versus community settings.

Differences in treatment outcomes between community or academic centers are incompletely understood. Retrospective review of head and neck cancer patients between 2010 and 2020 in a rural health region. Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests were used to evaluate survival outcomes, along with bivariate and multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. Linear regression was used for functional outcomes of tracheotomy and gastrostomy tube dependence. Two hundred and forty-eight patients treated at an academic center were compared with 94 patients treated in community centers. In multivariable analysis, the risk of death (HR = 0.60, p = 0.019), and risk of recurrence were lower (HR = 0.29, p < 0.001) for patients treated in academic centers. Patients treated in community centers had longer gastrostomy tube dependence (p = 0.002). Our findings suggest that treatment at an academic center was associated with a lower risk of recurrence and shorter gastrostomy tube dependence compared to treatment in the community.

Provider Perspectives: Identification and Follow-up of Infants who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

Without timely screening, diagnosis, and intervention, hearing loss can cause significant delays in a child's speech, language, social, and emotional development. In 2019, Texas had nearly twice the average rate of loss to follow-up (LFU) or loss to documentation (LTD; i.e., missing documentation of services received) among infants who did not pass their newborn hearing screening compared to the United States overall (51.1 vs. 27.5%). We aimed to identify factors contributing to LFU/LTD among infants who do not pass their newborn hearing screening in Texas. Data were collected through semistructured qualitative interviews with 56 providers along the hearing care continuum, including hospital newborn hearing screening program staff, audiologists, primary care physicians, and early intervention (EI) program staff located in three rural and urban public health regions in Texas. Following recording and transcription of the interviews, we used qualitative data analysis software to analyze themes using a conventional content analysis approach. Frequently cited barriers included problems with family access to care, difficulty contacting patients, problems with communication between providers and referrals, lack of knowledge among providers and parents, and problems using the online reporting system. Providers in rural areas more often mentioned problems with family access to care and contacting families compared to providers in urban areas. These findings provide insight into strategies that public health professionals and health care providers can use to work together to help further increase the number of children identified early who may benefit from EI services. · Infants with suspected hearing loss may not receive timely diagnosis or early intervention.. · We interviewed healthcare providers in Texas along the hearing care continuum.. · Findings suggest strategies to increase the number of children with hearing loss identified early..

A qualitative study exploring the lived experiences of deconditioning in hospital in Ontario, Canada

BackgroundOlder adults, especially those with physical and social complexities are at risk of hospital-associated deconditioning. Hospital-associated deconditioning is linked to increased length of stay in hospital, stress, and readmission rates. To date, there is a paucity of research on the experiences and implications of deconditioning in hospital from different perspectives. Therefore, the objectives of this exploratory, descriptive qualitative study were to explore hospital-associated deconditioning from the views of different stakeholders and to develop an understanding of deconditioning from physical, social, and cognitive perspectives.MethodsBetween August 2018 and July 2019, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients 50 years or older, who had a hip fracture or delay in discharge, as well as caregivers, providers, and decision-makers who provided support or impacted care processes for these patients. Participants were recruited from one urban and one rural health region located in Ontario, Canada. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a constant comparison approach.ResultsA total of 80 individuals participated in this study. Participants described insufficient activities in hospital leading to boredom and mental and physical deconditioning. Patients were frustrated with experiencing deconditioning and their decline in function seemed to impact their sense of self and identity. Deconditioning had substantive impacts on patients’ ability to leave hospital to their next point of care. Providers and decision-makers understood the potential for deconditioning but felt constrained by factors beyond their control. Factors that appeared to impact deconditioning included the hospital’s built environment and social capital resources (e.g., family, roommates, volunteers, staff).ConclusionsParticipants described a substantial lack of physical, cognitive, and social activities, which led to deconditioning. Recommendations to address deconditioning include: (1) measuring physical/psychological function and well-being throughout hospitalization; (2) redesigning hospital environments (e.g., create social spaces); and (3) increasing access to rehabilitation during acute hospital stays, while patients wait for the next point-of-care.

A Pathway for Implementing the Nurse Practitioner Workforce in a Rural and Remote Health Region.

Despite descriptions of nurse practitioner (NP) implementation, there is little guidance for health authorities on how to address the evolving and ongoing challenges of implementing and sustaining NP roles and practice, particularly in rural and remote communities where recruitment and retention are difficult and professional supports may be limited. This article describes a pathway through which NPs have been recruited, supported and retained in their practice in a large rural and remote health authority. The pathway's main steps were the creation of an NP lead for the health authority and the facilitation of conversations with NPs, which resulted in a new organizational model and a renewable action plan for recruitment and retention. The results are a strong NP leadership presence within the health authority, formalized role implementation within the medical staff structure, sustainable mechanisms for professional support, operational management and the strategic development of the NP portfolio. The experience of implementing and integrating the primary care NP workforce in rural and remote settings through an articulated pathway has provided insights into effective NP integration and sustainment in rural primary care settings.

Nurse managers implementing the lean management system: A qualitative study in Western Canada.

AimThis study explores the perceptions and experiences of nurse managers involved in implementing the Lean management system in a Western Canadian province.BackgroundThe provincial government of Saskatchewan, Canada, implemented a multimillion‐dollar investment in the Lean management system to transform health care delivery by reducing waste and increasing efficiency of processes and outcomes.MethodsThis qualitative exploratory study employed semi‐structured interviews with 14 nurse managers in urban and rural health regions in one Canadian province.ResultsSix themes outline the difficulties nurse managers experienced in juggling role responsibilities alongside a poorly implemented change system with scarce resources.ConclusionThe results showed tensions in the implementation of a Lean model adapted in the context of health care organisations. The expectations for nurse managers to be pivotal players in the implementation of transformative health care practices that promote and sustain strategies to reduce waste, improve coordination and increase patient safety require investment in leadership development.Implications for Nursing ManagementLean management systems significantly impact the roles of nurse managers who require adequate resources and training to successfully adapt. The results of this study may be used for more effective support mechanisms for nurse managers.

Engaging primary care physicians in system change – an interpretive qualitative study in a remote and rural health region in Northern British Columbia, Canada

ObjectivesTo describe how physicians were engaged in primary healthcare system change in a remote and rural Canadian health authority.DesignA qualitative interpretive study based on a hermeneutic approach.Methods34 transcribed in-depth interviews...

Rural Mentorships in Health Care: Factors Influencing Their Development and Sustainability.

The need to recruit and retain health care providers remains a concern in rural communities. This project aimed to better understand what health care providers and senior leaders value in mentorship and determine the best way to implement a mentorship program in rural western Canada. Health care providers and senior leaders from a rural health region were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. Participants were interviewed using a semistructured interview guide, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Two main themes were revealed: rural mentorship challenges and facilitators. Challenges included administrative, scope of practice, and interpersonal, whereas facilitators included mentorship as a recruitment and retention strategy, openness and commitment, structured mentorship programs, and community influence. This information will enable administrators and educators to more successfully implement mentorship programs for a variety of health care professionals working within rural environments and facilitate staff development, recruitment, and retention. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2018;49(7):322-328.

The development, implementation and evaluation of clinical pathways for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Saskatchewan: protocol for an interrupted times series evaluation

BackgroundChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has substantial economic and human costs; it is expected to be the third leading cause of death worldwide by 2030. To minimize these costs high quality guidelines have been developed. However, guidelines alone rarely result in meaningful change. One method of integrating guidelines into practice is the use of clinical pathways (CPWs). CPWs bring available evidence to a range of healthcare professionals by detailing the essential steps in care and adapting guidelines to the local context.Methods/designWe are working with local stakeholders to develop CPWs for COPD with the aims of improving care while reducing utilization. The CPWs will employ several steps including: standardizing diagnostic training, unifying components of chronic disease care, coordinating education and reconditioning programs, and ensuring care uses best practices. Further, we have worked to identify evidence-informed implementation strategies which will be tailored to the local context.We will conduct a three-year research project using an interrupted time series (ITS) design in the form of a multiple baseline approach with control groups. The CPW will be implemented in two health regions (experimental groups) and two health regions will act as controls (control groups). The experimental and control groups will each contain an urban and rural health region. Primary outcomes for the study will be quality of care operationalized using hospital readmission rates and emergency department (ED) presentation rates. Secondary outcomes will be healthcare utilization and guideline adherence, operationalized using hospital admission rates, hospital length of stay and general practitioner (GP) visits. Results will be analyzed using segmented regression analysis.DiscussionFunding has been procured from multiple stakeholders. The project has been deemed exempt from ethics review as it is a quality improvement project. Intervention implementation is expected to begin in summer of 2017.This project is expected to improve quality of care and reduce healthcare utilization. In addition it will provide evidence on the effects of CPWs in both urban and rural settings. If the CPWs are found effective we will work with all stakeholders to implement similar CPWs in surrounding health regions.Trial registrationClinicaltrials.gov (NCT03075709). Registered 8 March 2017.

Cascade of Care for HIV Positive Patients in a Rural Health Region in the North-Central Region of Ivory Coast: A Follow-up Study

Objective: To describe the cascade of care for HIV positive patients in the health region of Worodougou-Béré, North-Central Region of Ivory Coast. Methods: Cross-sectional study which included patients diagnosed HIV positive between January 2009 and December 2012 was conducted. The analysis focused on different steps of care, from HIV screening to antiretroviral treatment (ART) initiation. Results: A total of 1659 people were diagnosed HIV positive and 992 (60%) of them were included in HIV care. Their median age and CD4 count were 33 years [27-41 years] and 311 cells/mm3 [162-548/mm 3 ], respectively. Overall, 55% of them were female and 62% were symptomatic. The proportion of eligible patients was 52%, and 81% of them started ART. Conclusion: The cascade of HIV care in Worodougou-Béré Region had high attrition rate. A change in strategy, included point of care CD4 and viral load, is needed to increase access to ART and retention in care in these rural areas.

Prenatal screening, diagnosis, and termination of pregnancy in First Nations and rural women.

The objectives of the study were to assess differences in utilization of maternal serum screening (MSS) and prenatal diagnostic testing between population subgroups and to determine the impact on chromosomal anomaly birth rates. This population-based cohort study included all female residents from Saskatchewan, Canada, who delivered a baby, experienced a fetal loss, or had a pregnancy termination between 2000 and 2005. In total, 93 171 women were included in the study dataset, with a subset (n = 35 527) evaluated to identify predictors of screening and diagnostic testing. Incidence and live birth prevalence of Down syndrome were compared across populations. MSS uptake was lower in First Nations (FN) women (9.6% vs 28.4%), and living in a rural health region moderated the difference (p < 0.001). Consequently, fewer chromosomal anomalies were prenatally diagnosed in FN women than in the rest of the population (8.3% vs 27%). Terminations of pregnancy for fetal anomaly occurred at a lower frequency amongst FN women (0.64 vs 1.34, per 1000 pregnancies), resulting in a smaller effect on Down syndrome birth rates. Utilization of MSS and diagnostic testing was lower in FN and rural populations. Further research will be necessary to understand the relevance of value preferences and access barriers. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Needs Assessment of the Number of Comprehensive Addiction Care Physicians Required in a Canadian Setting.

Medical professionals adequately trained to prevent and treat substance use disorders are in short supply in most areas of the world. Whereas physician training in addiction medicine can improve patient and public health outcomes, the coverage estimates have not been established. We estimated the extent of the need for medical professionals skilled in addiction medicine in a Canadian setting. We used Monte-Carlo simulations to generate medians and 95% credibility intervals for the burden of alcohol and drug use harms, including morbidity and mortality, in British Columbia, by geographic health region. We obtained prevalence estimates for the models from the Medical Services Plan billing, the Discharge Abstract Database data, and the government surveillance data. We calculated a provider availability index (PAI), a ratio of the size of the labor force per 1000 affected individuals, for each geographic health region, using the number of American Board of Addiction Medicine certified physicians in each area. Depending on the data source used for population estimates, the availability of specialized addiction care providers varied across geographic health regions. For drug-related harms, we found the highest PAI of 23.72 certified physicians per 1000 affected individuals, when using the Medical Services Plan and Discharge Abstract Database data. Drawing on the surveillance data, the drug-related PAI dropped to 0.46. The alcohol-related PAI ranged between 0.10 and 86.96 providers, depending on data source used for population estimates. Our conservative estimates highlight the need to invest in healthcare provider training and to develop innovative approaches for more rural health regions.

Supporting nurses' transition to rural healthcare environments through mentorship

The global shortage of rural healthcare professionals threatens the access these communities have to adequate healthcare resources. Barriers to recruitment and retention of nurses in rural facilities include limited resources, professional development opportunities, and interpersonal ties to the area. Mentorship programs have been used to successfully recruit and retain rural nurses. This study aimed to explore (i) employee perceptions of mentorship in rural healthcare organizations, (ii) the processes involved in creating mentoring relationships in rural healthcare organizations, and (iii) the organizational features supporting and inhibiting mentorship in rural healthcare organizations. This study was conducted in one rural health region in Saskatchewan, Canada. Volunteer participants who were employed at one rural healthcare facility were interviewed. A semi-structured interview guide that focused on exploring and gaining an understanding of participants' perceptions of mentorship in rural communities was employed. Data were analyzed using interpretive description methodology, which places high value on participants' subjective perspective and knowledge of their experience. All seven participants were female and employed as registered nurses or licensed practical nurses. Participants recognized that the rural environment offered unique challenges and opportunities for the transition of nurses new to rural healthcare. Participants believed mentorships facilitated this transition and were vital to the personal and professional success of new employees. Specifically, their insights indicated that this transition was influenced by three factors: rural community influences, organizational influences, and mentorship program influences. Facilitators for mentorships hinged on the close working relationships that facilitated the development of trust. Barriers to mentorship included low staff numbers, limited selection of volunteer mentors, and lack of mentorship education. The rural community context clearly presents challenges for the transition of nurses. Participants described mentorship as a vital component to personal and professional success of new employees in rural areas. The findings of this qualitative exploratory study inform the development of creative and supportive ways to establish mentorships to address the challenges specifically associated with integration of nurses into rural practice.

Improving rural and remote practitioners' knowledge of the diabetic foot: findings from an educational intervention.

BackgroundThis study aimed to determine knowledge of national guidelines for diabetic foot assessment and risk stratification by rural and remote healthcare professionals in Western Australia and their implementation in practice. Assessment of diabetic foot knowledge, availability of equipment and delivery of foot care education in a primary healthcare setting at baseline enabled evaluation of the effectiveness of a diabetic foot education and training program for generalist healthcare professionals.MethodsThis study employed a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test study design. Healthcare practitioners’ knowledge, attitudes and practice of diabetic foot assessment, diabetic foot risks, risk stratification, and use of the 2011 National Health and Medical Research Council Guidelines were investigated with an electronic pre-test survey. Healthcare professionals then undertook a 3-h education and training workshop before completing the electronic post-test knowledge, attitudes and practice survey. Comparison of pre-test/post-test survey findings was used to assess the change in knowledge, attitudes and intended practice due to the workshops.ResultsTwo hundred and forty-six healthcare professionals from two rural and remote health regions of Western Australia participated in training workshops. Monofilaments and diabetes foot care education brochures, particularly brochures for Aboriginal people, were reported as not readily available in rural and remote health services. For most participants (58 %), their post-test knowledge score increased significantly from the pre-test score. Use of the Guidelines in clinical settings was low (19 %). The healthcare professionals’ baseline diabetic foot knowledge was adequate to correctly identify the high risk category. However, stratification of the intermediate risk category was poor, even after training.ConclusionThis study reports the first assessment of Western Australia’s rural and remote health professionals’ knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding the diabetic foot. It shows that without training, generalists’ levels of knowledge concerning the diabetic foot was low and they were unlikely to assess foot risk. The findings from this study in a rural and remote setting cast doubt on the ability of generalist healthcare professionals to stratify risk appropriately, especially for those at intermediate risk, without clinical decision support tools.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13047-016-0157-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Dementia-related work activities of home care nurses and aides: Frequency, perceived competence, and continuing education priorities

ABSTRACTAn understanding of the specific dementia learning needs of home care staff is needed to plan relevant continuing education (CE) programs and supports. The study’s objective was to examine frequency and perceived competence in performing 20 dementia-related work activities, and identify CE priorities among home care staff. A cross-sectional survey of all home care staff in a primarily rural health region was used to gather data. Of 111 eligible staff, 82 participated (41 nursing aides, 41 nurses/case managers). To explore the relationship between activity frequency (F) and competence (C), the proportion of nurses and aides in four quadrants for each activity was examined: (1) low F-low C, (2) low F-high C, (3) high F-low C, and (4) high F-high C. Nurses/case managers were significantly more likely than aides to regularly perform 11 activities and to report high competence in 9 activities (p < .05); aides were more likely to assist with two activities (personal care and daily living activities). Thus, nurses/case managers performed a broader range of activities and reported higher competence overall. The top CE topic for both groups was recognizing differences between dementia subtypes, but rankings for most activities varied by group. Aides’ CE priorities indicated a desire to develop competence in low frequency-low competence activities, suggesting an expanded role in supporting dementia patients and their families. Nurses’ CE priority topics were in the high F-high C quadrant, indicating a need to further develop competence in these activities. Findings have implications for planning CE programming for home care providers.

Zinc deficiency and growth status in children aged 6–60 months in rural Honduras

Zinc is an essential trace mineral and its importance in growth and immune function has been established in young children; however, little is known about the prevalence of zinc deficiency in Honduras. The purpose was to determine the prevalence of zinc deficiency and its association with growth status within children ages 6–60 months in rural Honduras. The randomized cross‐sectional study was conducted in two rural Honduran health regions. Hair samples were used to determine zinc status. &lt;−2 z‐score was used to determine stunting (height‐for‐age); wasting (weight‐for‐height); and underweight (weight‐for‐age). Zinc deficiency was defined as &lt;70 μg/g and marginal deficiency as 70–100 μg/g. Bivariate correlations and chi square were used to determine zinc's association with growth status. 217 children aged 6–60 months (56.7% female) participated. Hair samples were obtained from 179 children. 15% of children were zinc deficient and 26% were marginally deficient. 60% of children were stunted, 4% wasted, and 16% underweight. No statistically significant associations were seen between zinc deficiency and growth status or gender. There was a high prevalence of zinc deficiency and a very high prevalence of stunting within children in the regions evaluated; therefore, additional research is required to determine prevalence of zinc deficiency and its associations with growth status throughout other regions of the country.Grant Funding Source: USDA NIFA Competitive Grant 2011–67002‐30202 and USDA, SD Agricultural Experiment Station Grant SD00H249–08.

PREDICTORS OF PRENATAL SCREENING IN A LOW-SCREENING POPULATION

IntroductionNew prenatal screening technologies have made it possible for a simple blood test to assist in the identification of several conditions in the fetus early in pregnancy. Given more information...

The Evaluation of a Fall Management Program in a Nursing Home Population

This study evaluates a nursing home Fall Management program to see if residents' mobility increased and injurious falls decreased. Administrative health care use and fall occurrence report data were analyzed from 2 rural health regions in Manitoba, Canada, from June 1, 2003 to March 31, 2008. A quasiexperimental, pre-post, comparison group design was used to compare rates of three outcomes, falls, injurious falls, and falls resulting in hospitalization, by RHA (program vs nonprogram nursing homes) and period (preprogram vs postprogram). Data collectors entered occurrence report information into spreadsheets. This was supplemented with administrative health care use data. The program appears to have benefitted residents-falls trended upward, injurious falls remained stable, and hospitalized falls decreased significantly (0.036-0.021 per person-year [ppy]; p = .043). Compared with nonprogram residents in the postperiod, both groups had the same fall rate, but program residents had significantly fewer injurious falls (0.596-0.746 ppy; p = .02) and hospitalized falls (0.02-0.041 ppy; p = .023). These results are among a small body of literature showing that Fall Management was associated with improved outcomes in program nursing homes from pre- to postperiod and compared with nonprogram nursing homes. This research provides some support for the benefits of being proactive and implementing injury prevention strategies universally and pre-emptively before a resident falls, helping to minimize injuries while keeping residents mobile and active. Larger scale research is needed to identify the true effectiveness of the Fall Management program and generalizability of results.

Comparison of sun protection behaviour among urban and rural health regions in Canada

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'I am part of the community but...' The changing context of rural living for persons with advanced cancer and their families

Older rural persons who are receiving palliative care experience multiple co-existing transitions that can be distressing. These transitions do not occur in a vacuum, but occur in a context that reflects the uniqueness of rural living and the complexities of end of life in rural settings. The context or situation (geographical, physical, and social) in which an experience occurs influences the way people view and interpret the world around them; this contextual perspective contributes greatly to perceptions held by rural residents. The purpose of this study was to explore the context in which older rural patients receiving palliative care and their families experience transitions. Following a study of the transition experiences of older rural palliative patients, an in-depth interpretive description analysis was conducted specific to the context in which the participants' transitions occurred. Twenty-seven open-ended, individual, audio-taped, qualitative interviews were conducted and 4 focus group discussions were held to gather data. Individual audio-taped interviews were conducted with six older rural persons with advanced cancer and 10 bereaved (post-death) family caregivers. Four focus groups were conducted with 12 palliative care healthcare professionals. Participants were recruited from 3 rural health regions in a western Canadian province classified as one of the most 'rural' Canadian provinces. All interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed using Thorne's interpretive description qualitative approach. From the data analysis four themes emerged: (1) community connectedness/isolation; (2) lack of accessibility to care; (3) communication and information issues; and (4) independence/dependence. Participants described feelings of being connected to the community at the same time as they also reported feeling isolated. They described their value of independence at the same time as finding themselves becoming increasingly dependent on others. At times this value of independence interfered with their seeking and accessing needed health or supportive care. They perceived their lack of access to health care resulted in little or no choice in where they die. These findings reveal that the rural context has a major impact on the types of community support and healthcare services needed by older persons with advanced disease and their families. With advanced disease, the participants' sense of solitude became one of isolation, and with increasing dependence on others, they needed more connection and support from others. The findings reflected a more complex view of rural aging and dying than has been cited in the literature to date. This study suggests there is a need to renegotiate community supports and the independence available to persons with advanced disease as they undergo multiple transitions near the end of life.