This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Technology for health and human services

The State of Broadband Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
Presents the May 13, 2020, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation hearing on maintaining and expanding high-speed and reliable broadband access during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Examines the impact of CARES Act funding directed to support broadband initiatives at the federal, state, and local levels. Testimonies include discussion of challenges and policy options for broadband access in rural areas.
Additional links: Competitive Carriers Testimony, NTCA - The Rural Broadband Association Testimony, Public Knowledge Testimony, USTelecom - The Broadband Association Testimony
Date: 05/2020
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
view details
Mental Health in a Pandemic: Q&A with Thomasine Heitkamp and Dennis Mohatt
An interview with Mountain Plains Mental Health Technology Transfer Center co-directors Thomasine Heitkamp and Dennis Mohatt on the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses telehealth, economic insecurity, broadband, and mental health under COVID-19 and self-isolation.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 05/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
AARP Rural Livability Workshop Report
Report describing rural community characteristics with a focus on rural elders. Discusses rural demographics, community dynamics, public spaces, housing, transportation, economy, healthy living, broadband access, and disaster readiness.
Author(s): Melissa Stanton, Patricia Oh
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: AARP
view details
Mitigating COVID-19's Rural Impact on Families At-Risk for Violence and Child Maltreatment and Neglect
Discusses the potential impact of COVID-19 physical distancing measures on rural children experiencing maltreatment and those living in situations of intimate partner violence. Describes how rural communities and providers can help through community awareness efforts and changes to screening and other service delivery approaches.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Confronting Rural America's Health Care Crisis
Offers policy recommendations to stabilize the rural healthcare infrastructure and ensuring local access to care. Discusses strategies to provide financial relief to rural providers, preserve obstetric services, expand telehealth services, and address workforce shortages. Includes brief references to policy actions taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additional links: Rural Hospital Transformation Models, Summary, The Case for Expanding Telehealth Services, July 2020
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: Bipartisan Policy Center Rural Health Task Force
view details
Rapid Deployment of Telehealth Services for Rural Hospitals Fighting COVID-19
Profiles how a Critical Access Hospital in Minnesota implemented a telehealth network in preparation for COVID-19. Offers lessons learned for other healthcare providers looking to implement virtual healthcare models.
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
view details
Cybersecurity Toolkit for Rural Hospitals and Clinics
Describes 4 steps to help rural clinics and hospitals develop and maintain cybersecurity programs: awareness, assessment, implementation and remediation, and education. Includes a list of resources, checklists, and tools appropriate for all users.
Date: 04/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
view details
Low Burden Strategies Are Needed to Reduce Smoking in Rural Healthcare Settings: A Lesson from Cancer Clinics
Details a study on the effectiveness of an electronic health record-based smoking cessation module in providing cessation services to rural cancer patients. Presents data by patient characteristics, services accessed, and rural versus urban location, among other measures.
Author(s): Alex T. Ramsey, Timothy B. Baker, Giang Pham, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(5), 1728
Date: 03/2020
view details
2020 NACo Legislative Conference: Rural Grants 101: How County Officials Can Tap Into USDA Programs
Audio recording of National Association of Counties (NACo) panel discussion presented on March 2, 2020 in Washington, DC, describing ways in which counties can access USDA funding programs. Topics include rural electric cooperatives, rural telecommunications, and rural water and wastewater systems. Transcript available by clicking the More tab.
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Counties
view details
Trends in Electronic Health Record Use Among Residential Care Communities: United States, 2012, 2014, and 2016
Examines electronic health record (EHR) use trends and health information exchange (HIE) capability among residential care communities. Includes data by metropolitan statistical area (MSA) status, comparing MSA and non-MSA areas.
Author(s): Christine Caffrey, Christopher Cairns, Vincent Rome
Date: 03/2020
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
view details