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Telehealth and Health Information Technology in Rural Healthcare – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Telehealth and Health Information Technology in Rural Healthcare.

Evaluation of Post-Discharge Engagement for Emergency Department Patients with Opioid Use History Who Received Telehealth Recovery Coaching Services
Examines successful interventions for patients in emergency departments (EDs) who receive peer recovery coach (PRC) services via telehealth that support patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). Analyzes 13 EDs in Indiana who implemented telehealth PRC services starting in 2018, including 7 rural Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). Includes rate of successful follow-ups proceeding PRC services broken down by patient age, sex, race, drug use method, referral types, and metro, small, or rural living location.
Author(s): Dennis P. Watson, Peter Phalen, Spencer Medcalf, Sarah Messmer, Alan McGuire
Citation: Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention,18(9)
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
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Pre-Pandemic Geographic Access to Hospital-Based Telehealth for Cancer Care in the United States
Explores the availability of telehealth and oncology services across geographic and sociodemographic domains before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Utilizes 2019 and 2020 data sources to examine hospital characteristics by telehealth and oncology services, with information on hospital ownership, number of hospital beds, Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) status, presence of Rural Health Clinic (RHC) co-located at hospital, and more. Includes availability of telehealth, oncology, and hospital services broken down by county; HPSA status; income, average age, and race/ethnicity of residents; ratio of population to primary care physicians; rural noncore, rural micropolitan, or urban status; and more.
Author(s): David I. Shalowitz, Peiyin Hung, Whitney E. Zahnd, Jan Eberth
Citation: PLoS One, 18(1)
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
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Telemedicine Use and Quality of Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in the US During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Results of a study of 1,768 clinicians treating 11,801 patients with opioid use disorder (OUD), to examine the association between telemedicine adoption during the COVID-19 pandemic and indicators of OUD treatment quality. Explores medications for OUD (MOUD) prescribing and OUD-related clinical events, including drug overdose, inpatient detoxification, and rehabilitation center stay. Features statistics including patient and clinician characteristics, with breakdowns by metropolitan, micropolitan, small town, and rural location.
Author(s): Ruth Hailu, Ateev Mehrotra, Haiden A. Huskamp, Alisa B. Busch, Michael L. Barnett
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(1)
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
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Interoperability and Methods of Exchange Among Hospitals in 2021
Highlights the advances made and the methods used, as of 2021, in the interoperable exchange of health information for all hospital types: suburban/urban, rural, large/medium, and small. Presents data on the availability and use of electronic health information at point of care, participation rates in national organizations and networks, and the frequency of hospitals that experienced barriers when exchanging patient health information.
Author(s): Yuriy Pylypchuk, Jordan Everson
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Examining Rural Telehealth During the Public Health Emergency
Examines the use of telehealth visits for rural and urban fee-for-service Medicare enrollees between January 2018 and June 2021. Compares telehealth utilization before the COVID-19 pandemic (2018-2019) with telehealth utilization from January 2020 to June 2021. Describes the demographic, geographical, and technological characteristics of telehealth services that were associated with increased telehealth use. Explores the extent to which the increased implementation and utilization of telehealth during the PHE impacted the cost of patient care and provider utilization.
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS Alliance to Modernize Healthcare
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Use of Telehealth During the COVID-19 Era
Presents a review of more than 300 studies on the use of telehealth published between March 11, 2020, and May 2, 2022. Explores the characteristics of the patients, providers, and health systems using telehealth during the COVID-19 era. Examines the benefits and harms of telehealth, what is considered a successful telehealth intervention, and strategies used to implement telehealth interventions.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Johns Hopkins University Evidence-based Practice Center
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Telehealth and In-Person Behavioral Health Services in Rural Communities Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Multisite Prospective Cohort Study
Evaluated telehealth and in-person behavioral healthcare encounters in 95 rural communities before and during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency to identify changes in healthcare delivery. Discusses specific diagnoses, type of healthcare service, and clinician type.
Author(s): Marcia M. Ward, Fred Ullrich, Divya Bhagianadh, et al.
Citation: JMIR Mental Health, 10, e47047
Date: 2023
Type: Document
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Medicare Telehealth Trends Dashboard, 2019-2021
Interactive dashboard provides data on Medicare beneficiaries' telehealth visits from 2019 through 2021. Allows users to explore data by beneficiary characteristics, including age, disability status, urban/rural residence; behavioral health versus non-behavioral health visits; telehealth modality; and the percent of total visits that were via telehealth visits in 2020 by state.
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
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Telehealth in Rural Integrated Care Webinar Series
A 3-part webinar series on telehealth in rural integrated care. Part 1 discusses general issues and opportunities for telehealth in decreasing health disparities. Part 2 focuses on the unique challenges for rural children and rural schools. Part 3 focuses on the unique challenges for rural migrant workers and farmworkers.
Additional links: Part 2, Part 3
Date: 2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: National Council for Mental Wellbeing
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School-Based Telehealth Playbook
Guides health centers through the design, implementation, and operation of a telehealth program that meets the needs of children and adolescents. Covers assessing needs and readiness, program models, business models, technology and equipment, program evaluation, partnerships, and implementation. Highlights examples from rural areas throughout.
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: School-Based Health Alliance
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Last Updated: 2/14/2024