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Rural Health Information Hub

Telehealth and Health Information Technology in Rural Healthcare – Resources

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

Preparing Health Professions Students to Serve Southern Rural Communities in the Time of COVID-19 and Beyond: A Model for Interprofessional Online Telehealth Education
Describes a model for online telehealth interprofessional education (IPE) designed to meet the needs of rural communities in the South. Offers an overview of the program's design and implementation and highlights lessons learned related to training fundamentals, staffing and planning, faculty involvement, technology concerns, and Heath Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance, and more.
Author(s): Teri Browne, Selina H. McKinney, Lauren Duck, et al.
Citation: Southern Medical Journal, 114(10), 665-667
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
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State of Telehealth: Removing Barriers to Access and Improving Patient Outcomes
Presents a recording of an October 7, 2021, hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband. Examines the importance of access to telehealth services, telehealth utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of the pandemic on telehealth regulations, and the role of broadband access in the public health response. Features testimony from the American Academy of Family Physicians, Project ECHO, Avel eCare, and the Federal Communications Commission.
Additional links: American Academy of Family Physicians Testimony, Avel eCare Testimony, Federal Communications Commission Testimony, Project ECHO Testimony
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
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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
Type: Document
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
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Telehealth for the Treatment of Serious Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders
Evidence-based resource guide examining telehealth initiatives to treat serious mental illness (SMI) and substance use disorders (SUD) based on published research. Topics cover effectiveness of telehealth modalities, implementation of evidence-based practices, examples of telehealth treatment programs, and evaluation resources. Discusses rural-specific concerns throughout the guide.
Date: 06/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Federally Qualified Health Center's Remote Patient Monitoring Tool Kit
Toolkit developed for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) implementing a remote patient monitoring program. Provides guidance for FQHCs and offers program considerations regarding administration, program sustainability, electronic health records (EHR) integration, communications, equipment, training, and examples of measurable outcomes for patients and providers.
Date: 05/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: California Telehealth Resource Center
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Lessons Learned from the Cohort Analysis of Rural Health Programs: Data Dashboards
Describes the use of data dashboards by Federal Office of Rural Health Policy grantees to capture key healthcare measures and track patient outcomes and trends. Identifies challenges and shares lessons learned that can help other rural health facilities design and implement data dashboards.
Additional links: Webinar Overview
Date: 05/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis
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Broadband in Rural America: Faster Speeds for Home and Healthcare
Highlights the importance of rural broadband infrastructure for access to telehealth, patient portals, and other services. Features a Colorado countywide broadband program, Alabama telehealth services provided via county health departments, and a program providing healthcare access to rural veterans in Kentucky.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 04/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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White Paper: National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers
Describes the National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers, including information on the Telehealth Resource Center (TRC) Program's 12 regional centers and the 2 national resource centers, the Center for Connected Health Policy (CCHP) and the National Telehealth Technology Assessment Center (TTAC). Discusses role of TRCs in addressing specific regional needs and supporting the expansion of telehealth across the U.S.
Date: 02/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers
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Patient Satisfaction with Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment via Telemedicine: Brief Literature Review and Development of a New Assessment
Study assessing patient satisfaction with telemedicine-delivered medications for opioid use disorder (tMOUD). Discusses barriers to delivery of medications for opioid use disorder in rural areas. Offers a literature review and pilot survey data from 65 patients at a treatment clinic on Maryland's Eastern Shore, addressing future directions for telemedicine use in opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment programs.
Author(s): Thomas O. Cole, Darlene Robinson, Andrea Kelley-Freeman, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Public Health, 8, 557275
Date: 01/2021
Type: Document
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Last Updated: 4/25/2024