Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Technology for health and human services
Increased Wellness and Economic Return of Universal Broadband Infrastructure: A Telehealth Case Study of Ten Southern Rural Counties
Estimates the economic and health impacts of increased rural telehealth availability were broadband infrastructure and services universally available in 10 rural counties across Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Calculates savings resulting from emergency department visits, lost productivity, preventable admissions, readmissions, and transportation costs for a variety of health conditions, and examines costs and strategies for increasing broadband infrastructure availability.
Author(s): Ry Marcattilio, Christopher Mitchell
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) Community Broadband Networks Initiative, Southern Rural Black Women's Initiative (SRBWI)
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Estimates the economic and health impacts of increased rural telehealth availability were broadband infrastructure and services universally available in 10 rural counties across Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. Calculates savings resulting from emergency department visits, lost productivity, preventable admissions, readmissions, and transportation costs for a variety of health conditions, and examines costs and strategies for increasing broadband infrastructure availability.
Author(s): Ry Marcattilio, Christopher Mitchell
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) Community Broadband Networks Initiative, Southern Rural Black Women's Initiative (SRBWI)
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Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices: Managing Threats and Protecting Patients
Offers cybersecurity guidelines for healthcare organizations to help reduce cybersecurity risks. Outlines the top five cybersecurity threats, and discusses best practices to combat these threats. Technical Volume 1 discusses cybersecurity practices for small healthcare organizations.
Additional links: Technical Volume 1: Cybersecurity Practices for Small Health Care Organizations
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organizations: 405(d) Program, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Offers cybersecurity guidelines for healthcare organizations to help reduce cybersecurity risks. Outlines the top five cybersecurity threats, and discusses best practices to combat these threats. Technical Volume 1 discusses cybersecurity practices for small healthcare organizations.
Additional links: Technical Volume 1: Cybersecurity Practices for Small Health Care Organizations
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organizations: 405(d) Program, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Comparative Effectiveness of 2 Interventions to Increase Breast, Cervical, and Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Women in the Rural US: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Evaluated the effectiveness of remote interventions compared to the standard care protocols for cancer screenings in 963 Indiana and Ohio women between 50 and 74 years old. Discusses cost-effectiveness compared to increased screening odds and the impact on health outcomes, particularly mortality.
Author(s): Victoria L. Champion, Electra D. Paskett, Timothy E. Stump, Erika B. Biederman, Eric Vachon, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(4)
Date: 04/2023
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Evaluated the effectiveness of remote interventions compared to the standard care protocols for cancer screenings in 963 Indiana and Ohio women between 50 and 74 years old. Discusses cost-effectiveness compared to increased screening odds and the impact on health outcomes, particularly mortality.
Author(s): Victoria L. Champion, Electra D. Paskett, Timothy E. Stump, Erika B. Biederman, Eric Vachon, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(4)
Date: 04/2023
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Augmenting Project ECHO for Opioid Use Disorder with Data-Informed Quality Improvement
Discusses the feasibility of training clinics that are participating in a Project ECHO virtual collaborative to implement quality initiative (QI) projects that mitigate opioid overdose and mortality. Provides results of 5 New Hampshire clinics that joined the training and includes considerations of QI projects and opioid mitigation taking place in rural areas.
Author(s): Owen B. Murray, Marcy Doyle, Bethany M. McLeman, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 18, 24
Date: 04/2023
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Discusses the feasibility of training clinics that are participating in a Project ECHO virtual collaborative to implement quality initiative (QI) projects that mitigate opioid overdose and mortality. Provides results of 5 New Hampshire clinics that joined the training and includes considerations of QI projects and opioid mitigation taking place in rural areas.
Author(s): Owen B. Murray, Marcy Doyle, Bethany M. McLeman, et al.
Citation: Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 18, 24
Date: 04/2023
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Landscape of the Health Informatics Workforce: Rapid Response Brief
Focuses on the clinical informatics and public health, population health, and social service informatics subdomains of the health informatics workforce. Mentions resource hubs that serve rural communities by providing guidelines, toolkits, screening tools, and other resources. Examines social determinants of health and gives examples of clinical informatics work that can improve access to care for rural and underserved populations. Features statistics on physicians certified in clinical informatics from 2013-2022.
Author(s): Cynthia LeRouge, Shahida Shahrir, Bianca K. Frogner
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Focuses on the clinical informatics and public health, population health, and social service informatics subdomains of the health informatics workforce. Mentions resource hubs that serve rural communities by providing guidelines, toolkits, screening tools, and other resources. Examines social determinants of health and gives examples of clinical informatics work that can improve access to care for rural and underserved populations. Features statistics on physicians certified in clinical informatics from 2013-2022.
Author(s): Cynthia LeRouge, Shahida Shahrir, Bianca K. Frogner
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center for Health Workforce Studies
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Broadband Speed: FCC Should Improve Its Communication of Advanced Telecommunications Capability Assessments
Examines the extent to which Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has communicated how it reviews, and determines whether to update, the broadband upload and download speed benchmark. Describes how the minimum speed requirements of selected federal and state broadband programs differ from FCC's benchmark and stakeholders' views on the implications of these differences.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examines the extent to which Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has communicated how it reviews, and determines whether to update, the broadband upload and download speed benchmark. Describes how the minimum speed requirements of selected federal and state broadband programs differ from FCC's benchmark and stakeholders' views on the implications of these differences.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Electronic Health Information Exchange: Use Has Increased, but Is Lower for Small and Rural Providers
Explores states' use of Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act funding for health information exchange efforts. Examines the extent to which the use of electronic health information exchange has changed since the enactment of the HITECH Act and federal efforts that aim to address challenges to the electronic exchange of health information. Discusses differences in the electronic exchange of information between small and rural hospitals and larger, non-rural hospitals.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Explores states' use of Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act funding for health information exchange efforts. Examines the extent to which the use of electronic health information exchange has changed since the enactment of the HITECH Act and federal efforts that aim to address challenges to the electronic exchange of health information. Discusses differences in the electronic exchange of information between small and rural hospitals and larger, non-rural hospitals.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Health Care's Role in Rural Economic Development: How Broadband Can Improve Health Outcomes
Policy brief exploring how lack of broadband infrastructure and adaptation in rural areas limits access to healthcare. Includes recommendations for policies and actions to improve the rural broadband infrastructure and promote telehealth.
Author(s): Jeremy Cannon
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Policy brief exploring how lack of broadband infrastructure and adaptation in rural areas limits access to healthcare. Includes recommendations for policies and actions to improve the rural broadband infrastructure and promote telehealth.
Author(s): Jeremy Cannon
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Association Between Broadband Capacity and Telehealth Utilization Among Medicare Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Evaluates the relationship between broadband access and telehealth utilization throughout the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic, from January through September 2020, by merging county-level data from 3,107 counties focused on broadband capacity, telehealth utilization by Medicare Fee-for-Service beneficiaries, rural-urban residence, and demographic characteristics.
Author(s): Ambrish A. Pandit, Ruchira V. Mahashabde, Clare C. Brown, et al.
Citation: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 2023
Date: 04/2023
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Evaluates the relationship between broadband access and telehealth utilization throughout the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic, from January through September 2020, by merging county-level data from 3,107 counties focused on broadband capacity, telehealth utilization by Medicare Fee-for-Service beneficiaries, rural-urban residence, and demographic characteristics.
Author(s): Ambrish A. Pandit, Ruchira V. Mahashabde, Clare C. Brown, et al.
Citation: Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 2023
Date: 04/2023
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The End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency - Impact for RHCs
Recording of an April 5, 2023, webinar regarding how the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) impacts regulatory waivers and flexibilities related to Rural Health Clinics (RHCs). Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Q&A Follow-Up, Transcript
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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Recording of an April 5, 2023, webinar regarding how the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) impacts regulatory waivers and flexibilities related to Rural Health Clinics (RHCs). Part of the Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series.
Additional links: Presentation Slides, Q&A Follow-Up, Transcript
Date: 04/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Rural Health Clinics
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