Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Telehealth
Telehealth, COVID-19 and Looking Ahead
Discusses COVID-19 telehealth policy flexibilities that may be made permanent through legislation or other state-level action as of July 2021. Offers a map indicating states where legislation seeks to make policy changes permanent, presents an overview of specific policy flexibilities, and discusses state-level approaches, including temporary extensions of policy changes and non-legislative action.
Author(s): Jack Pitsor
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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Discusses COVID-19 telehealth policy flexibilities that may be made permanent through legislation or other state-level action as of July 2021. Offers a map indicating states where legislation seeks to make policy changes permanent, presents an overview of specific policy flexibilities, and discusses state-level approaches, including temporary extensions of policy changes and non-legislative action.
Author(s): Jack Pitsor
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Conference of State Legislatures
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State Medicaid Telehealth Policies Before and During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
Examines state Medicaid telehealth coverage, policies, and utilization before and after the COVID-19 public health emergency. Discusses issues and opportunities for optimizing telehealth, including equity considerations for rural and lower-income communities.
Author(s): Rose C. Chu, Christie Peters, Nancy De Lew, Benjamin D. Sommers
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Examines state Medicaid telehealth coverage, policies, and utilization before and after the COVID-19 public health emergency. Discusses issues and opportunities for optimizing telehealth, including equity considerations for rural and lower-income communities.
Author(s): Rose C. Chu, Christie Peters, Nancy De Lew, Benjamin D. Sommers
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Leveraging Quality Measurement to Improve Rural Health, Telehealth, and Healthcare System Readiness: Final Environmental Scan Report
Presents the results of an environmental scan of literature related to barriers and facilitators of rural telehealth for healthcare system readiness, as well as a scan of quality measures relevant to rural telehealth during emergencies. Summarizes policies and practices related to telehealth and the healthcare system, with a focus on federal policy changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Presents the results of an environmental scan of literature related to barriers and facilitators of rural telehealth for healthcare system readiness, as well as a scan of quality measures relevant to rural telehealth during emergencies. Summarizes policies and practices related to telehealth and the healthcare system, with a focus on federal policy changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Quality Forum
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Remote Patient Monitoring Helps Rural Patients Recover at Home
Features Essentia Health's remote patient monitoring program, which allows patients to recover at home while still having access to medical attention. Describes how the program was used to treat COVID-19 patients, with plans to continue the program to treat other chronic diseases.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Features Essentia Health's remote patient monitoring program, which allows patients to recover at home while still having access to medical attention. Describes how the program was used to treat COVID-19 patients, with plans to continue the program to treat other chronic diseases.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Access to Affordable Care in Rural America: Current Trends and Key Challenges
Describes geographic and demographic challenges that contribute to healthcare access and health disparities in rural areas. Covers patterns of insurance coverage between rural and urban areas, healthcare provider shortages, and rural hospital vulnerability and closures. Discusses programs and services supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reduce barriers to care in rural communities, including telehealth, healthcare workforce programs, and Rural Health Clinics and Community Health Centers.
Author(s): Gina Turrini, D.Keith Branham, Lucy Chen, et al.
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Describes geographic and demographic challenges that contribute to healthcare access and health disparities in rural areas. Covers patterns of insurance coverage between rural and urban areas, healthcare provider shortages, and rural hospital vulnerability and closures. Discusses programs and services supported by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to reduce barriers to care in rural communities, including telehealth, healthcare workforce programs, and Rural Health Clinics and Community Health Centers.
Author(s): Gina Turrini, D.Keith Branham, Lucy Chen, et al.
Date: 07/2021
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Association of the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes Project With Use of Direct-Acting Antiviral Treatment Among US Adults With Hepatitis C
Results of a study of 267,908 patients to examine the association between Project ECHO and use of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban or rural location.
Author(s): Linh Tran, Roger Feldman, Thomas Riley, Jeah Jung
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(7)
Date: 07/2021
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Results of a study of 267,908 patients to examine the association between Project ECHO and use of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban or rural location.
Author(s): Linh Tran, Roger Feldman, Thomas Riley, Jeah Jung
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(7)
Date: 07/2021
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Examining Opportunities for Growth and Investment in Rural America
Video recording of testimony from rural healthcare and economic organization leadership to the U.S. House Agriculture Committee. Discusses broadband and telehealth, COVID-19 impacts on rural healthcare and economics, education, infrastructure, aging, and agriculture business issues. Transcript available in the video description.
Additional links: Testimony Transcripts
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: U.S. House Committee on Agriculture
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Video recording of testimony from rural healthcare and economic organization leadership to the U.S. House Agriculture Committee. Discusses broadband and telehealth, COVID-19 impacts on rural healthcare and economics, education, infrastructure, aging, and agriculture business issues. Transcript available in the video description.
Additional links: Testimony Transcripts
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: U.S. House Committee on Agriculture
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North Carolina Telepsychiatry Program: 2021 Profile
Fact sheet with North Carolina telepsychiatry-related statistics on grants, performance measures, return on investment and economic impact, and total program funding, with breakdowns by state and other contributions. Includes a county-level map showing locations of telepsychiatry centers as of June 2021, with shadings indicating urban and rural counties.
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
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Fact sheet with North Carolina telepsychiatry-related statistics on grants, performance measures, return on investment and economic impact, and total program funding, with breakdowns by state and other contributions. Includes a county-level map showing locations of telepsychiatry centers as of June 2021, with shadings indicating urban and rural counties.
Date: 06/2021
Sponsoring organization: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
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Strategies for Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Rural Health System in New York State
Describes the challenges of COVID-19 encountered by Bassett Healthcare Network (BHN), a network of 5 hospitals and 24 clinics located in rural upstate New York covering the healthcare needs of 5 counties. Presents four strategies in response to these challenges: expand the capacity of intensive-care; retrain and reposition employees into new roles; adopt a system providing rapid access to care and follow-up; and coordinate communication and decision-making with network administrators, employees, and other healthcare professionals.
Author(s): Jamie A. Aron, Alexander J.B. Bulteel, Kelsey A. Clayman, et al.
Citation: Healthcare, 9(2), 100508
Date: 06/2021
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Describes the challenges of COVID-19 encountered by Bassett Healthcare Network (BHN), a network of 5 hospitals and 24 clinics located in rural upstate New York covering the healthcare needs of 5 counties. Presents four strategies in response to these challenges: expand the capacity of intensive-care; retrain and reposition employees into new roles; adopt a system providing rapid access to care and follow-up; and coordinate communication and decision-making with network administrators, employees, and other healthcare professionals.
Author(s): Jamie A. Aron, Alexander J.B. Bulteel, Kelsey A. Clayman, et al.
Citation: Healthcare, 9(2), 100508
Date: 06/2021
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Applied Rapid Qualitative Analysis to Develop a Contextually Appropriate Intervention and Increase the Likelihood of Uptake
Examines an intervention, Telehealth-based Coordination of Non-Veterans Health Administration Care (TECNO Care), designed to improve care coordination between the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and community providers for veterans living in rural areas.
Author(s): Allison A. Lewinski, Matthew J. Crowley, Christopher Miller, et al.
Citation: Medical Care, 59(6 Suppl 3), S242-S251
Date: 06/2021
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Examines an intervention, Telehealth-based Coordination of Non-Veterans Health Administration Care (TECNO Care), designed to improve care coordination between the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and community providers for veterans living in rural areas.
Author(s): Allison A. Lewinski, Matthew J. Crowley, Christopher Miller, et al.
Citation: Medical Care, 59(6 Suppl 3), S242-S251
Date: 06/2021
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