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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Technology for health and human services

QuickStats: Percentage of Adults Who Used the Internet in the Past 12 Months to Communicate with a Doctor or Doctor's Office, by Urbanization Level — National Health Interview Survey, United States, July–December 2022
Bar chart showing adult use of the internet to communicate with a doctor, with data by location of residence for metropolitan, micropolitan, and noncore areas.
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 72(44), 1207
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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5G Fund for Rural America: Current Status and Issues
Provides an overview of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) 5G Fund for Rural America, an initiative to bring voice and high-speed mobile broadband services to rural areas unlikely to see 5G cellular deployments without subsidies. Outlines considerations and concerns raised by members of Congress about the program.
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Closing the Broadband Infrastructure Gap: State Grant Funds and the Digital Divide
Analyzes Pew Trusts data on awarded broadband grants in 17 states between 2014 and 2020 to determine common characteristics of funded projects, criteria for allocation, and communities reached. Includes discussion of implications for Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funds and the impact on existing disparities. Offers rural and urban comparisons.
Additional links: Q&A with Pew Trusts, Summary
Author(s): Natassia A. Bravo, Mildred E. Warner
Date: 10/2023
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BEAD Program Toolkit for Counties
Resource hub for county stakeholders working in broadband initiatives. Includes suggested action items, county-level data on broadband access, Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) related resources, webinars, and more.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Association of Counties
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Health Information Workforce: Survey Results on Workforce Challenges and the Role of Emerging Technologies
Presents results of an August 2023 survey of health information professionals on workforce challenges and the impact of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, on the health information workforce. Describes challenges for recruiting and retaining health information professionals, factors that influence turnover, and the impacts of understaffing on healthcare quality and reimbursement. Discusses the future outlook for the health information profession and offers policy recommendations to enhance workforce development. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organizations: American Health Information Management Association, NORC at the University of Chicago
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Leveraging Connected Care Strategies to Expand Rural Access to Healthcare
Recorded video that features a conversation focused on connected healthcare, healthcare access, and the digital divide in rural areas. Discusses the future of virtual care to improve access for rural communities and strategies to alleviate barriers to connected healthcare.
Author(s): Jared Antczak
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Xtelligent Healthcare Media
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The Equity of Economic Opportunity in Rural America
Offers an overview of employment trends in rural America. Highlights the impact of technology and historical policy decisions on equity. Includes information for rural and urban comparisons as well as race and ethnicity, population movement, and broadband infrastructure data. Discusses policy solutions for improving equity in and for rural places.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Center on Rural Innovation
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Three USDA Rural Broadband Programs: Areas and Populations Served
Evaluation of funded and unfunded grants and loans for 3 U.S. Department of Agriculture rural broadband programs between 2009 and 2021. Determines geographic and population distribution trends and characteristics of successfully funded projects.
Author(s): John Pender, Joshua Goldstein, Devika Mahoney-Nair, Hanna Charankevich
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Challenges to Care of Patients with Diabetes in Rural, Underserved Areas
Discusses the provision of diabetes care to patients in rural areas. Includes information on demographics, barriers to care, and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).
Author(s): Richard J. Santen
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: University of Virginia School of Medicine
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Recovering from a Cybersecurity Attack and Protecting the Future in Small, Rural Health Organizations
Discusses the impact cyber-attacks can have on rural healthcare facilities. Features two Critical Access Hospital leaders describing attacks at their organizations. Shares insights from an information technology compliance expert, including actions organizations can take to protect themselves.
Author(s): Tami Lichtenberg
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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