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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Telehealth

Fact Sheet: Telehealth
Discusses the growth of telehealth use in hospitals from 2010 through 2017, and ongoing challenges to expanding and providing telehealth services. Covers rural considerations throughout the document.
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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2019 Telehealth Policy Barriers
Discusses existing policy barriers at the federal and state levels that inhibit the use of telehealth in rural and urban areas, including: reimbursement; malpractice; licensing; HIPAA, privacy, and security; prescribing; credentialing and privileging; and other influences on policy.
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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2019 Telehealth Reimbursement
Provides an overview of Medicare reimbursement for telehealth services and discusses factors, policies, and legislation affecting reimbursement including: geographic and originating site restrictions; provider restrictions; service restrictions; payment for remote communication technology; chronic care management and remote monitoring; Medicare Advantage; Accountable Care Organizations, bundled care, and telehealth. Covers Medicaid and private payer telehealth reimbursement policies.
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Report to Congress: Current State of Technology-Enabled Collaborative Learning and Capacity Building Models
Reports on the impact of technology-enabled collaborative learning and capacity building models as required by the Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes (ECHO) Act. Examines how such models are being used to improve healthcare quality and address health workforce capacity, particularly in rural areas, the evidence behind model effectiveness, and evidence gaps. Provides recommendations on expanding model adoption and its use in continuing medical education. Appendix includes an inventory of Project ECHO models and other similar models by state and in several other countries.
Additional links: Appendix F: Evaluation of Technology-Enabled Collaborative Learning and Capacity Building Models
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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The 2018 Farm Bill (P.L. 115-334): Summary and Side-by-Side Comparison
Analyzes the 2018 Farm Bill by comparing House and Senate versions of the bill and the previous 2014 bill. Includes important rural provisions addressing substance abuse treatment, telemedicine funding, broadband access, and rural hospital loans.
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Evidence Brief: Video Telehealth for Primary Care and Mental Health Service
Details an investigation by the Veterans Health Administration into video telehealth as a means of delivering primary and mental healthcare to veterans. Highlights advantages for increasing access for rural veterans.
Additional links: Supplemental Materials
Author(s): Stephanie Veazie, Donald Bourne, Kim Peterson, Johanna Anderson
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: VA Health Services Research & Development Service
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Rural Patients with Chronic Disease: A Nonprofit Organization and a Health Department Leverage Federal Funding to Provide Health Education and Care Coordination
Features rural Alabama and North Carolina organizations that are using Federal Office of Rural Health Policy grants to improve health outcomes for patients with chronic disease through remote patient monitoring, health education, and network development.
Author(s): Kay Miller Temple
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Opioid Use Disorder: Challenges and Opportunities in Rural Communities
Discusses challenges rural communities face in providing access to evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Identifies federal and state strategies to address treatment capacity, including expanding the workforce authorized to prescribe buprenorphine and using technology to provide treatment. Highlights how Scott County, Indiana responded to an HIV outbreak related to OUD by addressing the barriers to care faced by people with OUD and HIV.
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Pew Charitable Trusts
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How Rural Hospitals Improve Value and Affordability
Issue brief discussing four strategies rural hospitals are undertaking to improve the quality of care and patient experience, while decreasing the cost of healthcare services. Covers strategies on population health, new models of care, telehealth, and workforce programs. Includes multiple case studies and rural program examples for each strategy.
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Rural Report: Challenges Facing Rural Communities and the Roadmap to Ensure Local Access to High-Quality, Affordable Care
Reports on continuing, current, and emerging challenges for rural hospitals working to provide access to healthcare services in rural communities. Includes discussion on policy recommendations to improve access and covers new models of care, reimbursement policies, regulatory requirements, telehealth, workforce issues, and prescription drug costs.
Additional links: Executive Summary, Infographic
Date: 02/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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