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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Broadband

Telemedicine Services During COVID‐19: Considerations for Medically Underserved Populations
Discusses the use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic and details some of the barriers to its use in underserved communities. Highlights the lack of broadband internet in rural areas and on tribal lands, as well the lack of technological capability among older people.
Author(s): Tasha Woodall, Melinda Ramage, John T. LaBruyere, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 37(1), 231-234
Date: 01/2021
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Rural Michigan Farmers' Health Concerns and Experiences: A Focus Group Study
Interviewed 14 members of the Michigan Farm Bureau in 2019 to explore their healthcare system experiences. Overall themes discussed include formal healthcare, well-being and health supports, health insurance, and virtual healthcare. Data show basic demographics of participants in addition to their access to internet, cell phones, and virtual healthcare.
Author(s): Nathan Wright, Marylee Scherdt, Michelle L. Aebersold, et al.
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 12(2021)
Date: 2021
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Investing in Rural Prosperity
Anthology examining policy, governance, and community and economic development in rural and tribal communities. Highlights strategies for local capacity building, efforts to strengthen rural community resilience, and the need for health and wellness investments in rural America.
Date: 2021
Sponsoring organization: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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Equitable Recovery and Resilience in Rural America
Reports on geographic, economic, and cultural diversity in rural America, addressing issues of equity, health disparities, and economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. Offers recommendations for local and federal action related to broadband internet access, small business development, and collaboration to support rural economic vitality and equity.
Author(s): Brian Dabson
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Aspen Institute
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The Digital Divide in U.S. Mobile Technology and Speeds
Report examining the digital divide in access to mobile broadband service for certain populations, including rural areas. Discusses age of mobile and WiFi technology and compiles speed test data to analyze access at the county level. Presents population data based on demographics, household size, employment, and offers maps of approximate LTE speeds by county.
Author(s): Judith Dempsey, Patrick Sun
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
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Telemedicine Utilization Report: Telehealth and Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines the use of telemedicine to deliver Medicaid-covered services in the state of Minnesota. Describes state and federal telehealth policy waivers and modifications that were temporarily implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses telehealth use by and special considerations for rural populations.
Author(s): Neerja Singh, Julie Marquardt
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Minnesota Department of Human Services
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Telehealth Practice Among Health Centers During the COVID-19 Pandemic — United States, July 11–17, 2020
Reports health center telehealth services based on a July 11–17, 2020 survey of Health Resources and Services Administration–funded health centers. Includes data for urban and rural locations. Discusses barriers that rural health centers face in expanding telehealth, including broadband access, lack of partners, and logistics.
Author(s): Hanna B. Demeke, Leah Zilversmit Pao, Hollie Clark, et al.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 69(50), 1902-1905
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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How Might Internet Connectivity Affect Health Care Access?
Describes how a lack of internet access may negatively impact access to healthcare. Features data and statistics on internet access, with information broken down by race/ethnicity, age, poverty level, insurance status and type, and metropolitan/nonmetropolitan location. Discusses COVID-19 and how social distancing measures have led to increased implementation of telehealth, resulting in additional challenges accessing healthcare among people with little to no internet connectivity.
Author(s): Krutika Amin, Matthew Rae, Giorlando Ramirez, Cynthia Cox
Date: 12/2020
Sponsoring organization: KFF
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Access in Appalachia Concept and Methodologies: Final Report
Provides an overview of the accessibility needs to goods and services - food, healthcare, broadband, education, as well as, customer, labor, and supplier markets - for the people and businesses of Appalachia. Looks at the current research on rural accessibility and economic development. Outlines methods for measuring accessibility, offers an analyses approach using accessibility metrics, and discusses other considerations in long range accessibility planning.
Date: 11/2020
Sponsoring organizations: Appalachian Regional Commission, EBP US, Inc.
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The Complex Geographies of Telelactation and Access to Community Breastfeeding Support in the State of Ohio
Study examining face-to-face and virtual breastfeeding support options in Ohio, comparing access in urban and rural areas. Explores potential for telelactation services to increase access for rural mothers, noting the barrier of broadband service access. Offers maps that represent spatial data on breastfeeding support access and that identify locations where breastfeeding support interventions would have the most impact.
Author(s): Tony H. Grubesic, Kelly M. Durbin
Citation: PLoS One, 15(11), e0242457
Date: 11/2020
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