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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Broadband

Robustness of Estimated Access to Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Providers in Rural Vs. Urban Areas of the United States
Estimates level of access to opioid use disorder treatment at 31,053 locations in July 2020 for rural and urban opioid users by comparing drive time and availability of treatment. Discusses treatment disparities between rural and urban opioid users with particular focus on infrastructure such as transportation and broadband, hospital closures, and health insurance status.
Author(s): Matthew V. Kiang, Michael L. Barnett, Sarah E. Wakeman, Keith Humphreys, Alexander C. Tsai
Citation: Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 228, 109081
Date: 11/2021
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Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Funding for USDA Rural Broadband Programs
Provides an overview of funding included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (P.L. 117-58) for two rural broadband-related programs: the ReConnect Program and the Rural Broadband Program. Compares administrative provisions and requirements for the ReConnect Program with requirements for previous rounds of funding.
Date: 11/2021
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Household Experiences in Rural America During the Delta Variant Outbreak
Examines the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural U.S. households. Covers financial, education, childcare, health and healthcare, and employment and work-related impacts related to the pandemic.
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organizations: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, National Public Radio, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Health Care in Rural America: Focus on Internet and Telehealth Use
Presents results of a survey of rural adults age 40 and older conducted between November-December 2020, addressing access to specialty health services, infrastructure gaps in rural areas, and utilization of telehealth services. Provides data on internet use relative to overall health, internet access at home and with smartphones, cost issues, and highlights concerns and barriers to telehealth utilization.
Additional links: Annotated Questionnaire
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: AARP
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The Impact of COVID-19 on People with Disabilities
Examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with disabilities. Covers access to healthcare and direct care workers, congregate care settings and transition, education, employment, effective communication, and mental health and suicide prevention services. Identifies challenges to rural residents throughout, including access to broadband in rural areas. Offers policy recommendations to federal and state policymakers and other relevant stakeholders.
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Council on Disability
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State of Telehealth: Removing Barriers to Access and Improving Patient Outcomes
Presents a recording of an October 7, 2021, hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband. Examines the importance of access to telehealth services, telehealth utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of the pandemic on telehealth regulations, and the role of broadband access in the public health response. Features testimony from the American Academy of Family Physicians, Project ECHO, Avel eCare, and the Federal Communications Commission.
Additional links: American Academy of Family Physicians Testimony, Avel eCare Testimony, Federal Communications Commission Testimony, Project ECHO Testimony
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
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Affordability and Availability: Expanding Broadband in the Black Rural South
Report examining broadband access in African American communities in the rural South. Highlights economic, healthcare, and educational opportunities that accompany broadband access. Discusses financial and policy barriers to broadband access in the Black rural South and offers policy recommendations to increase access.
Author(s): Dominique Harrison
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
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Broadband: FCC Is Taking Steps to Accurately Map Locations that Lack Access
Describes efforts by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to develop a location fabric, a geographically specific, granular dataset, representing existing and necessary broadband deployment sites. Presents findings from an examination of potential geographic data sources, surveys of 44 states and territories, and interviews with state and federal agency stakeholders. Discusses limitations related to the accuracy, completeness, and consistency of location data.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Housing Affordability, Adequacy, and Access to the Internet in Homes of Medicaid Enrollees
Examines the housing adequacy, affordability, and internet access among Medicaid enrollees in 2019. Describes the impact of housing conditions on health, with a focus on the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses policy options for Medicaid programs to address housing challenges. Presents data by Medicaid enrollee demographic characteristics, including race/ethnicity, age, sex, and metro/non-metro status.
Author(s): Bradley Corallo
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Low-Income Households and Communities in North Carolina
Discusses impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on efforts to combat poverty and promote self-sufficiency in low-income communities across North Carolina. Presents excerpts from interviews with community leaders, and identifies takeaways related to the pandemic's impact on individuals, organizational strategies, partnerships and collaboration, and public health. Highlights rural communities and Black North Carolinians throughout, and covers topics including vaccination, internet access, mental health, and more. Provides recommendations for community action agencies.
Author(s): James H. Johnson Jr., Jeanne Milliken Bonds, Allan M. Parnell
Date: 08/2021
Sponsoring organizations: North Carolina Community Action Association, Urban Investment Strategies Center
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