Telehealth and Health Information Technology in Rural Healthcare – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Telehealth and Health Information Technology in Rural Healthcare.
Certain Medicare Beneficiaries, Such as Urban and Hispanic Beneficiaries, Were More Likely Than Others To Use Telehealth During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Data brief examining telehealth usage by Medicare beneficiaries during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, noting rural and urban differences, state-level trends, and usage by race/ethnicity and age according to Medicare Advantage and fee-for-service claims data. Offers policy recommendations and agency responses.
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Data brief examining telehealth usage by Medicare beneficiaries during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, noting rural and urban differences, state-level trends, and usage by race/ethnicity and age according to Medicare Advantage and fee-for-service claims data. Offers policy recommendations and agency responses.
Date: 09/2022
Sponsoring organization: Office of Inspector General (HHS)
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Telehealth Brings Important Services to Rural Long-Term Care Facilities
Discusses the benefits of telehealth services for residents and staff of rural long-term care facilities. Identifies some of the challenges related to providing these services. Features a New Hampshire skilled nursing facility providing telemental health services, and a Virginia geriatrician helping long-term care facilities address COVID-19 via Project ECHO educational sessions.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Discusses the benefits of telehealth services for residents and staff of rural long-term care facilities. Identifies some of the challenges related to providing these services. Features a New Hampshire skilled nursing facility providing telemental health services, and a Virginia geriatrician helping long-term care facilities address COVID-19 via Project ECHO educational sessions.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2022
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Telehealth Strategies for the Delivery of Maternal Healthcare
Presents a rapid review of studies published since 2015 on the use of telehealth for maternal care, highlighting findings related to clinical outcomes, maternal and obstetric health outcomes, patient satisfaction, and other measures. Discusses maternal telehealth's potential as a supplement and as a replacement for in-person care.
Author(s): Amy G. Cantor, Rebecca M. Jungbauer, Annette M. Totten, et al.
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organization: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
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Presents a rapid review of studies published since 2015 on the use of telehealth for maternal care, highlighting findings related to clinical outcomes, maternal and obstetric health outcomes, patient satisfaction, and other measures. Discusses maternal telehealth's potential as a supplement and as a replacement for in-person care.
Author(s): Amy G. Cantor, Rebecca M. Jungbauer, Annette M. Totten, et al.
Date: 07/2022
Sponsoring organization: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute
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Managing Innovation: A Qualitative Study on the Implementation of Telehealth Services in Rural Emergency Departments
Study examining adoption and utilization of telehealth through interviews with 18 key informants from 6 healthcare systems that provide telehealth support to 65 rural emergency departments through a hub-and-spoke model. Discusses stages of implementation and factors that facilitate or impede implementation.
Author(s): Mochamad Muska Nataliansyah, Kimberly A.S. Merchant, James A. Croker, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 22, 852
Date: 07/2022
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Study examining adoption and utilization of telehealth through interviews with 18 key informants from 6 healthcare systems that provide telehealth support to 65 rural emergency departments through a hub-and-spoke model. Discusses stages of implementation and factors that facilitate or impede implementation.
Author(s): Mochamad Muska Nataliansyah, Kimberly A.S. Merchant, James A. Croker, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 22, 852
Date: 07/2022
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Introduction to Improving Telehealth and Virtual Care for Pain Management and Opioid/ Substance Use Disorder
Presents the proceedings of a meeting discussing the use of telehealth and virtual care to treat substance use disorder (SUD), opioid use disorder (OUD), and to monitor pain management. Highlights the effect the COVID-19 pandemic on telehealth use, regulation, and reimbursement. Features considerations for rural communities.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Academy of Medicine
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Presents the proceedings of a meeting discussing the use of telehealth and virtual care to treat substance use disorder (SUD), opioid use disorder (OUD), and to monitor pain management. Highlights the effect the COVID-19 pandemic on telehealth use, regulation, and reimbursement. Features considerations for rural communities.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Academy of Medicine
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Behavioral Healthcare Organizations' Experiences Related to Use of Telehealth as a Result of the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploratory Study
Study examining the experiences of substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health treatment service providers with telehealth based on surveys of 391 individuals on behalf of their organizations. Describes COVID-related experiences with telehealth, general telehealth experiences, and recommendations for continued telehealth delivery, including rural-specific insights and concerns.
Author(s): Abby Kisicki, Sara Becker, Michael Chaple, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 22, 775
Date: 06/2022
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Study examining the experiences of substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health treatment service providers with telehealth based on surveys of 391 individuals on behalf of their organizations. Describes COVID-related experiences with telehealth, general telehealth experiences, and recommendations for continued telehealth delivery, including rural-specific insights and concerns.
Author(s): Abby Kisicki, Sara Becker, Michael Chaple, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 22, 775
Date: 06/2022
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Tribal Broadband: National Strategy and Coordination Framework Needed to Increase Access
Provides an overview of federal programs that support the deployment of broadband infrastructure on tribal lands and the extent to which federal agencies focus on tribal issues related to broadband access. Discusses barriers tribes and providers face in accessing these federally-funded programs. Providers recommendations for the Executive Office of the President and the Department of Commerce to address tribal needs and engagement in a national broadband strategy.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Provides an overview of federal programs that support the deployment of broadband infrastructure on tribal lands and the extent to which federal agencies focus on tribal issues related to broadband access. Discusses barriers tribes and providers face in accessing these federally-funded programs. Providers recommendations for the Executive Office of the President and the Department of Commerce to address tribal needs and engagement in a national broadband strategy.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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The Evolution of Telehealth during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multiyear Retrospective of FAIR Health's Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker
Brief presenting data from the FAIR Health Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker on changes in telehealth utilization, diagnoses, and procedure codes at the national and regional level between January 2020 and March 2022. Notes shifts in telehealth utilization during specific seasons and connects those shifts to changes in COVID-19 infection rates.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: FAIR Health
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Brief presenting data from the FAIR Health Monthly Telehealth Regional Tracker on changes in telehealth utilization, diagnoses, and procedure codes at the national and regional level between January 2020 and March 2022. Notes shifts in telehealth utilization during specific seasons and connects those shifts to changes in COVID-19 infection rates.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: FAIR Health
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Introduction to Improving Telehealth and Virtual Care for Pain Management and Opioid/Substance Use Disorder
Summarizes a meeting of the Pain Management Guidelines and Evidence Standards (PM) and Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services (PTR) Working Groups of the National Academy of Medicine's Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic. Discusses telehealth flexibilities during the COVID-19 public health emergency, telehealth use for pain management, and telehealth-based treatment of opioid and substance use disorders.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Academy of Medicine
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Summarizes a meeting of the Pain Management Guidelines and Evidence Standards (PM) and Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services (PTR) Working Groups of the National Academy of Medicine's Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic. Discusses telehealth flexibilities during the COVID-19 public health emergency, telehealth use for pain management, and telehealth-based treatment of opioid and substance use disorders.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: National Academy of Medicine
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Insurance Type Is the Top Predictor of Telehealth Use as Adoption Levels Off Long-Term
Brief presenting data on rates of outpatient telehealth use by encounter type, rural and metro location, and insurance type based on provider-reported 2020 data from Cosmos.
Author(s): Christopher Alban, Alissa MacGibbon, Tim Keogh, et al.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Epic Research
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Brief presenting data on rates of outpatient telehealth use by encounter type, rural and metro location, and insurance type based on provider-reported 2020 data from Cosmos.
Author(s): Christopher Alban, Alissa MacGibbon, Tim Keogh, et al.
Date: 06/2022
Sponsoring organization: Epic Research
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Last Updated: 9/2/2025

