Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Technology for health and human services
Access to Jobs, Economic Opportunities, and Education in Rural Areas
Provides an overview of the challenges experienced in rural communities such as connectivity issues; access to goods, social services, and healthcare; and a lack of educational and economic opportunities. Includes implementation strategies for rural communities to evaluate, plan for, and improve accessibility, along with related case studies.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organizations: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Transportation Research Board
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Provides an overview of the challenges experienced in rural communities such as connectivity issues; access to goods, social services, and healthcare; and a lack of educational and economic opportunities. Includes implementation strategies for rural communities to evaluate, plan for, and improve accessibility, along with related case studies.
Additional links: Read Online
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organizations: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Transportation Research Board
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Toward Equitable Innovation in Health and Medicine: A Framework
Report describing a framework for decision-making during the innovation process for the purpose of equitable distribution of health and medicine. The framework considers who innovation is for, who has a say in developing the innovation, access to innovation, and the distribution of the value of the innovation. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Health Sciences Policy
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Report describing a framework for decision-making during the innovation process for the purpose of equitable distribution of health and medicine. The framework considers who innovation is for, who has a say in developing the innovation, access to innovation, and the distribution of the value of the innovation. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Read Online
Author(s): Board on Health Sciences Policy
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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School-Based Telehealth Playbook
Guides health centers through the design, implementation, and operation of a telehealth program that meets the needs of children and adolescents. Covers assessing needs and readiness, program models, business models, technology and equipment, program evaluation, partnerships, and implementation. Highlights examples from rural areas throughout.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: School-Based Health Alliance
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Guides health centers through the design, implementation, and operation of a telehealth program that meets the needs of children and adolescents. Covers assessing needs and readiness, program models, business models, technology and equipment, program evaluation, partnerships, and implementation. Highlights examples from rural areas throughout.
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: School-Based Health Alliance
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America's Health Rankings Senior Report 2023
Provides a national and state-by-state overview of population health for older adults across 52 measures using data from 22 unique data sources. Covers social and economic factors, physical environment, clinical care, behaviors, and health outcomes. Highlights health differences, including rural-urban differences, across five categories of health. Includes state-by-state summaries and county-level maps for risk of social isolation by state.
Additional links: County-Level Maps for Risk of Social Isolation
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: United Health Foundation
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Provides a national and state-by-state overview of population health for older adults across 52 measures using data from 22 unique data sources. Covers social and economic factors, physical environment, clinical care, behaviors, and health outcomes. Highlights health differences, including rural-urban differences, across five categories of health. Includes state-by-state summaries and county-level maps for risk of social isolation by state.
Additional links: County-Level Maps for Risk of Social Isolation
Date: 2023
Sponsoring organization: United Health Foundation
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HIMSS Healthcare Leadership Survey
Presents results of an October-November 2022 survey of healthcare executives regarding their outlook on organizational transformation and their readiness for the future. Identifies future priorities, challenges to reaching these priorities, and how they measure success. Covers financial readiness, healthcare workforce, health information technology, virtual patient care, cybersecurity, and more. Includes urban, suburban, and rural comparisons throughout.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
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Presents results of an October-November 2022 survey of healthcare executives regarding their outlook on organizational transformation and their readiness for the future. Identifies future priorities, challenges to reaching these priorities, and how they measure success. Covers financial readiness, healthcare workforce, health information technology, virtual patient care, cybersecurity, and more. Includes urban, suburban, and rural comparisons throughout.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
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A Snapshot of Racial Inequities in Human Services Programs in Rural Contexts
Examines the need for human services across rural counties and broken down by racial/ethnic groups. Provides data on human services funding per person, unemployment rate, poverty rate, access to broadband, and access to vehicles by rural Black, Hispanic, Native, and White citizens. Includes a 2018 county-level U.S. map that depicts rural counties with high needs for human services.
Author(s): Emma Ward, James Murdoch, Neel Chakraborti
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organizations: 2M Research, Administration for Children and Families
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Examines the need for human services across rural counties and broken down by racial/ethnic groups. Provides data on human services funding per person, unemployment rate, poverty rate, access to broadband, and access to vehicles by rural Black, Hispanic, Native, and White citizens. Includes a 2018 county-level U.S. map that depicts rural counties with high needs for human services.
Author(s): Emma Ward, James Murdoch, Neel Chakraborti
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organizations: 2M Research, Administration for Children and Families
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A Snapshot of Broadband Access in Rural Communities
Presents findings from interviews with human services staff to describe broadband access in rural areas. Discusses how limited broadband access is a significant barrier to social and economic well-being. Identifies opportunities to increase access to broadband through human services programs in rural contexts.
Author(s): Ashton Cain, Emma Ward, James Murdoch, Neel Chakraborti
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organizations: 2M Research, Administration for Children and Families
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Presents findings from interviews with human services staff to describe broadband access in rural areas. Discusses how limited broadband access is a significant barrier to social and economic well-being. Identifies opportunities to increase access to broadband through human services programs in rural contexts.
Author(s): Ashton Cain, Emma Ward, James Murdoch, Neel Chakraborti
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organizations: 2M Research, Administration for Children and Families
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Broadband Mapping
Offers access to interactive maps displaying FCC broadband data and internet speeds for the continuous U.S. by state and county.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Institute for Digital Health & Innovation, Rural Telehealth Evaluation Center
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Offers access to interactive maps displaying FCC broadband data and internet speeds for the continuous U.S. by state and county.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organizations: Institute for Digital Health & Innovation, Rural Telehealth Evaluation Center
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Disparities in Patient Portal Access by U.S. Adults Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Reports on a population-based survey to determine if socio-demographic disparities exist in accessing online patient portals. Using data from the 2020 U.S. Health Information National Trends Survey, insured adults who had a medical visit in the previous 12 months were asked about their knowledge, access, and use of online medical records. Demographic characteristics of patients who were offered access, and for patients who accessed online portals are compared. Reasons for not using an online portal are discussed. Compares online patient portal use by different patient characteristics, including education, race/ethnicity, sex, age, location (metro vs nonmetro/rural), insurance type, use of internet, and quality of care.
Author(s): Akira Nishii, Celeste Campos-Castillo, Denise Anthony
Citation: JAMIA Open, 5(4)
Date: 12/2022
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Reports on a population-based survey to determine if socio-demographic disparities exist in accessing online patient portals. Using data from the 2020 U.S. Health Information National Trends Survey, insured adults who had a medical visit in the previous 12 months were asked about their knowledge, access, and use of online medical records. Demographic characteristics of patients who were offered access, and for patients who accessed online portals are compared. Reasons for not using an online portal are discussed. Compares online patient portal use by different patient characteristics, including education, race/ethnicity, sex, age, location (metro vs nonmetro/rural), insurance type, use of internet, and quality of care.
Author(s): Akira Nishii, Celeste Campos-Castillo, Denise Anthony
Citation: JAMIA Open, 5(4)
Date: 12/2022
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Improving Rural Health Through Telehealth-Guided Provider-to-Provider Communication
Presents the results of a comprehensive literature review to identify, summarize, and evaluate available research on the contributions of rural provider-to-provider telehealth communication and collaboration in addressing health disparities, and improving the health of rural populations. Topics cover the specific applications, effectiveness, implementation, sustainability, and barriers and facilitators of provider-to-provider telehealth in rural areas.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Full Report, Telehealth's Potential To Benefit Rural Healthcare Delivery: Infographic 1, Telehealth's Potential To Benefit Rural Healthcare Delivery: Infographic 2
Author(s): Annette Totten, Dana M. Womack, Marian S. McDonagh, et al.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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Presents the results of a comprehensive literature review to identify, summarize, and evaluate available research on the contributions of rural provider-to-provider telehealth communication and collaboration in addressing health disparities, and improving the health of rural populations. Topics cover the specific applications, effectiveness, implementation, sustainability, and barriers and facilitators of provider-to-provider telehealth in rural areas.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Full Report, Telehealth's Potential To Benefit Rural Healthcare Delivery: Infographic 1, Telehealth's Potential To Benefit Rural Healthcare Delivery: Infographic 2
Author(s): Annette Totten, Dana M. Womack, Marian S. McDonagh, et al.
Date: 12/2022
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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