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The Rural Monitor
Articles by Topic: Technology for health and human services

CommHIT Shoots for the Moon

February 21, 2024
CommHIT, a nonprofit based at the Kennedy Space Center, has worked at the intersection of rural health and technology for over a decade. Now, as an awardee of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network (RPHWTN) grant program, the organization is assisting Florida partners with workforce development initiatives and technology-related training programs.

Recovering from a Cybersecurity Attack and Protecting the Future in Small, Rural Health Organizations

October 4, 2023
Rural hospitals are becoming increasingly vulnerable to attempts to penetrate information systems to create havoc, steal data, or hold information "hostage" for a monetary ransom. Two Critical Access Hospital leaders discuss attacks at their organizations and how they are working to prevent future attacks. An information technology compliance expert also highlights actions organizations can take to better protect themselves from cyber-attacks.

A New Era of Health Literacy? Expanded Definitions, Digital Influences, and Rural Inequities

February 2, 2022
The priority for rural population health is access, including access to health information needed to make personal health decisions. Two of the nation's health literacy experts join a federal agency official to review current rural challenges of accessing health information that is clear and usable. Along with an exploration of digital health literacy, recently expanded definitions of health literacy are discussed.

“It's the relationships”: Q&A with Peggy Broussard Wheeler

January 19, 2022
Peggy Broussard Wheeler, Vice President of Policy at the California Hospital Association, discusses the challenges that the hospitals in her state and nationwide have faced before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also shares rural hospitals' unique strengths and the importance of collaboration and relationships.

Understanding the “Tool-ish-ness” of Telehealth: Q&A with Dr. Jonathan Neufeld

December 8, 2021
Clinical psychologist and program director for the Great Plains Telehealth Resource & Assistance Center, Dr. Jonathan Neufeld, clarifies telehealth as an "enabler" of healthcare delivery. Emphasizing that telehealth is only a set of telecommunication tools, he details how the unique use and flexibility of these tools by skilled providers can bring quality care and impact rural health equity.

Remote Patient Monitoring Helps Rural Patients Recover at Home

July 14, 2021
Essentia Health created the Remote Patient Monitoring program to allow some patients to recover at home while still having access to medical attention. Program launch was accelerated to treat COVID-19 patients, but Essentia plans to continue the program after the pandemic to treat other chronic diseases.

Broadband in Rural America: Faster Speeds for Home and Healthcare

April 28, 2021
Fast, reliable broadband is essential for people to access telehealth and patient portals as well as work and study from home, but rural and tribal areas fall behind urban and suburban areas in terms of broadband deployment and speed. Organizations in Alabama, Colorado, and Kentucky share how broadband affects their work and their patients' care.

Asset-Based Thinking: Q&A with Graham Adams

February 10, 2021
Graham Adams, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of the South Carolina Office of Rural Health (SCORH), shares how his office is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and addressing social determinants of health like employment.