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Resources by Topic: Technology for health and human services

Impact of COVID-19 on Clinical Trials Costs to Patients
Examines the direct and indirect costs of COVID-19 clinical trial participation to patients and the impact of utilizing remote technologies. Presents an environmental scan of articles published between 2010 and 2023 and discusses barriers to clinical trial participation experienced by underrepresented and rural populations.
Author(s): Keri Calkins, Emily Crabtree, Emily Harrison, Nyna Williams, Kirsten Barrett
Date: 06/2025
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Mathematica
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Patterns of Digital Health Access and Use among US Adults: A Latent Class Analysis
Evaluates patterns of access and use of digital technology for health purposes via a latent class analysis of 2017-2020 Health Information National Trends Survey data. See Table 3 for data on people dwelling in metropolitan, non-metropolitan urban, and rural areas.
Author(s): Phillip C. Hegeman, Daniel T. Vader, Kristyn Kamke, Sherine El-Toukhy
Citation: BMC Digital Health, 2, 42
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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Transformation of the Clinical Trial Enterprise: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic
Summarizes findings from a literature review and expert interviews regarding the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical trials. Explores ways that clinical trials that continued during the pandemic mitigated disruptions and lessons learned. Includes discussions regarding how decentralized clinical trials and digital health technologies reduce barriers for rural and underserved populations to enroll and participate in clinical trials.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Co-Bio Consulting, HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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TEFCA Awareness and Planned Participation Among U.S. Hospitals: 2023
Evaluates survey data to determine non-federal acute care hospitals' awareness of and participation in the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA). Includes comparisons by rural and urban status as well as for Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and non-CAHs, among other factors.
Author(s): Wei Chang, Meghan Hufstader Gabriel, Jordan Everson
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Screening for Health-Related Social Needs: A Comparison of CAHs and Non-CAHs
Provides an overview of health-related social needs (HRSN) and social determinants of health (SDOH) and the impacts of screening for and collecting data on HRSN and SDOH. Analyzes 2022 American Hospital Association Annual Survey and Information Technology Supplement data to describe the collection of HRSN data among Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Compares the specific HRSNs assessed and programs to address HRSNs among CAHs and non-CAH hospitals. Presents data on the collection of HRSN data by CAHs by health system membership and electronic health record vendor. Describes the use of HRSN data by CAHs that routinely collect and do not routinely collect this data.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Carson Crane, Megan Lahr, Robert Barclay
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Caregiver Recruitment Strategies for Interventions Designed to Optimize Transitions from Hospital to Home: Lessons from a Randomized Trial
Compares in-person and virtual recruitment strategies for a video-based intervention for family caregivers (FCGs) to improve transitional palliative care for critically ill patients in rural Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Includes data on effectiveness of each strategy and diversity of recruited FCGs.
Author(s): Allison M. Gustavson, Molly J. Horstman, et al.
Citation: Trials, 25, 454
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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A Guide to Building a Climate-Ready Rural Workforce
Guides local health departments in establishing and expanding climate and health programs for rural areas. Discusses climate-related environmental health challenges and activities, including sections on surveillance and data use, partnerships, communication and outreach, workforce development, and mental health.
Author(s): Nikita Kheni, Angana Roy, Aliya Al-Sadi, Beth Hess
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Association of County and City Health Officials
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Digital Navigation Toolkit
Provides links to resources to support digital health navigators, individuals who aid community members with connectivity, devices, and digital skills and facilitate access to healthcare.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers
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Tribal Customer Experience Pilot for Post-Award Reporting
Reports on 4 piloted solutions for reducing the administrative burden associated with federal grant reporting for tribal communities. Discusses broadband access, costs associated with reporting, and the impact of noncompliance. Outlines 5 key needs for improving outcomes. Includes recommendations for federal agencies offering grant funds to tribal communities.
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Executive Office of the President, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of Treasury
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The Solutions in Health Analytics for Rural Equity Across the Northwest (SHARE-NW) Dashboard for Health Equity in Rural Public Health: Usability Evaluation
Evaluates the usability of the solutions in health analytics for rural equity across the northwest (SHARE-NW) dashboard in order to better support rural public health departments. Utilizes feedback from rural public health professionals in multiple Northwestern states to examine dashboard efficiency, satisfaction, and validity.
Author(s): Elizabeth Heitkemper, Scott Hulse, Betty Bekemeier, et al.
Citation: JMIR Human Factors, 11
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
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