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

Report on Promoting Broadband Internet Access Service for Veterans Pursuant to the Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services Act of 2018
Provides an overview of broadband access and broadband adoption for low-income and rural veteran households. Details barriers for veterans accessing broadband and efforts to increase access, such as the Universal Service Fund and Rural Health Care programs. Discusses the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) special focus on providing healthcare services for veterans in rural and remote locations via telehealth. Offers recommendations for Congress regarding broadband access for low-income and rural veterans.
Date: 05/2019
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
view details
Report on Broadband Deployment in Indian Country, Pursuant to the Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services Act of 2018
Provides an overview of fixed and mobile broadband deployment throughout tribal lands. Offers data comparing rural and urban tribal and non-tribal household broadband coverage. Discusses programs and other actions to increase access to broadband on tribal lands, including a focus on the Rural Health Care Program.
Date: 05/2019
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
view details
Increasing Rural Nurses' Awareness of a Statewide Health Information Resource: An Educational Outreach Initiative
Reports on strategies designed to promote awareness and usage of HEALWA among rural health professionals in Washington state, including the use of a librarian position. HEALWA is a virtual resource library of evidence-based health information that can be accessed by health practitioners across the state.
Author(s): Kathryn Vela, Tania Bardyn
Citation: Journal of the Medical Library Association, 107(2), 244-250
Date: 04/2019
view details
Hospitals' Use of Electronic Health Records Data, 2015-2017
Analyzes 2015 to 2017 data from the American Hospital Association Information Technology Survey to determine trends in how electronic health records (EHR) data is used to inform clinical practices and hospital processes. Includes information on EHR data use in small, rural, and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Author(s): Sonal Parasrampuria, Jawanna Henry
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
view details
Protocol for Links (Linking Individual Needs to Community and Clinical Services): A Prospective Matched Observational Study of a Community Health Worker Community Clinical Linkage Intervention on the U.S.-Mexico Border
Describes Linking Individual Needs to Community and Clinical Services (LINKS), a 3-year observational tool developed to examine the impact of CHW-led interventions using electronic health records and other applications to reduce chronic disease risk and promote well-being among Latinos residing in the U.S. Mexico border region of Arizona.
Author(s): Abby M. Lohr, Maia Ingram, Scott C. Carvajal, Kevin Doubleday, Benjamin Aceves, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health,19, 399
Date: 04/2019
view details
Broadband Mapping: Challenges and Solutions
Recording of a hearing from the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation focusing on efforts to collect more accurate broadband coverage information. Includes testimonies from the U.S. Telecom Association, Competitive Carriers Association, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, and others regarding current mapping challenges and the importance of broadband access for rural communities, including for healthcare services.
Additional links: Jonathan Spalter, USTelecom - Testimony, Mike McCormick, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation - Testimony, Mike Oblizalo, Hood Canal Communications - Testimony, Tim Donovan, Competitive Carriers Association - Testimony
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organizations: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, U.S. Senate
view details
Electronic Capabilities for Patient Engagement among U.S. Non-Federal Acute Care Hospitals: 2013-2017
Describes hospital trends regarding patients' ability to view, download, and transmit (VDT) electronic health information and other capabilities related to online patient engagement. Provides data and analysis by hospital type, including Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and rural hospitals, on the percent of: hospitals where patients can VDT their health data electronically; active patient portals; and hospitals offering electronic capabilities to their patients, such as refill requests, bill pay, and other services.
Author(s): JaWanna Henry, Wes Barker, Lolita Kachay
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
view details
Rural Pulse 2019: Rural/Urban Findings - March 2019
Results of a survey of 1,560 Minnesota residents, exploring their views on issues including access to healthcare, behavioral health services, public transportation, and elder care, and how well these issues are being addressed at the state and local levels. Features statistics including demographics with breakdowns by urban and rural residence, and survey responses with breakdowns by 6 Minnesota regions.
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Blandin Foundation
view details
Planning and Partnerships: Coordinating Rural Resources for Emergency Preparedness and Response
Discusses how rural healthcare facilities can prepare for natural and man-made disasters, the need for flexibility, and the importance of learning from others' experiences. Includes examples of rural communities and providers responding to a tornado in Iowa, an earthquake in Alaska, and an armed hostage standoff in South Dakota.
Author(s): Tami Lichtenberg
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Rural Development Telecom Awards, 2012-17
Bar chart showing total awards and total recipients by year for USDA Rural Development telecommunications programs, with totals including the Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program, Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program, Community Connect Grant Program, and Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee Program.
Date: 02/2019
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
view details