Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Service delivery models

Telehealth in Rural America
Policy brief focused on telehealth in the rural U.S. Addresses state and national policies related to insurance coverage of telehealth, infrastructure challenges such as broadband access, licensure issues, reimbursement, and other barriers to telehealth access.
Author(s): Windy Alonso, Elizabeth Crouch, Nicole Thorell
Date: 07/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
view details
The Role of Primary Care in Improving Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment for Rural Medicaid Enrollees with Opioid Use Disorder
Examines the utilization of primary care among rural Medicaid enrollees in rural Pennsylvania diagnosed with an opioid use disorder (OUD). Describes the relationship between primary care utilization, distance to a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) prescriber, and MAT utilization.
Author(s): Evan S. Cole, Ellen DiDomenico, Gerald Cochran, et al.
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 34(6), 936-943
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
view details
Extending Access to Care Across the Rural US South: Preliminary Results from the Alabama eHealth Programme
Describes Alabama eHealth, a community-based initiative of Medical Advocacy and Outreach (MAO) that provides telehealth services to rural residents living with HIV. Discusses staff interviews describing barriers and successes to implementing the program. Evaluates the effectiveness and sustainability of the program by tracking patient appointment completion rates, CD4 counts, and viral loads. Table 1 provides an overview of Alabama eHealth affiliates and their roles in providing telehealth services.
Author(s): Kriti Jain, Prashanth Bhat, Cathy Maulsby, et al.
Citation: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 25(5): 301-309
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
view details
The Interface of Policy Dynamics and Transforming Rural Health Care Services
Slides presented at the 2019 Western Region Flex Conference discussing the effect of public policy transformation on rural healthcare. Identifies policy initiatives and responses taken by healthcare organizations and management. Highlights new models of approaches, collaborations, and partnerships to sustain programs and services.
Author(s): Keith Mueller
Date: 06/2019
Type: Presentation Slides
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
view details
Accountable Care Organizations Exiting the Medicare Shared Savings Program: Policy and Organizational Determinants
Poster presented at the 2019 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting on trends in Accountable Care Organization (ACO) exits. Identifies organizational factors such as rural/urban location affecting ACO exit, as well as policy-related motivations, such as financial incentives.
Author(s): Huang Huang, Xi Zhu, Keith Mueller, Clinton MacKinney
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Iowa College of Public Health
view details
Factors Determining Patients' Choice Between Mobile Health and Telemedicine: Predictive Analytics Assessment
Results of a study to examine factors influencing the choice of communication medium for receiving healthcare, through analysis of mobile health versus telemedicine visits with a virtual urgent clinic. Features statistics including demographics of virtual urgent clinic users, with breakdowns by urban and rural settings.
Author(s): Saif Khairat, Songzi Liu, Tanzila Zaman, Barbara Edson, Robert Gianforcaro
Citation: JMIR Mhealth Uhealth, 7(6)
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
view details
Tailoring Crisis Response and Pre-arrest Diversion Models for Rural Communities
Outlines a guide for rural communities to develop crisis response and pre-arrest diversion programs for people with mental health or substance use disorders. Discusses the use of technology to connect law enforcement with behavioral health programs, as well as building off of current programs to address the specific needs of the community.
Date: 06/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
view details
Introducing the Rural Telehealth Toolkit
Webinar recording discusses the Rural Telehealth Toolkit, which was designed to help rural communities implement telehealth programs and was developed by NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis for the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP). Features representatives from NORC, the Rural Veterans Health Access Program, the NDSU College of Health Professions, and the Northeast Telehealth Resource Center (NETRC).
Additional links: Audio Recording, PowerPoint Handout, Webinar Transcript
Date: 06/2019
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Lower Health Care Costs Act
Recording of a U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing on the Lower Health Care Costs Act, which covers access to healthcare, surprise medical bills, market competition, drug prices, and other issues. Includes testimony from an organization that works primarily with small and rural practices, the American Hospital Association, American Enterprise Institute, and others.
Additional links: Benedic N. Ippolito Testimony, Sean Cavanaugh Testimony, Tom Nickels Testimony
Date: 06/2019
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
view details
Access to Maternal Health Care in Rural Communities: A Patient's Personal Story
Offers a short video featuring a patient's story about accessing maternal healthcare in rural Iowa. Includes the perspective of the obstetrician/gynecologist who provided her care using a combination of telehealth and in-person visits from South Dakota, the closest facility offering the services she needed.
Date: 06/2019
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
view details