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Rural Health Information Hub

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

Implementing the 21st Century Cures Act: Making Electronic Health Information Available to Patients and Providers, Part II
A recording of a hearing from the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on implementation of the 21st Century Cures Act, which is intended to improve interoperability of electronic health records. Addresses requirements that would impact healthcare facilities, including rural hospitals and Critical Access Hospitals. Offers testimony from the Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Center for Clinical Standards and Quality.
Additional links: Kate Goodrich Testimony
Date: 05/2019
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions
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Report on Promoting Broadband Internet Access Service for Veterans Pursuant to the Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services Act of 2018
Provides an overview of broadband access and broadband adoption for low-income and rural veteran households. Details barriers for veterans accessing broadband and efforts to increase access, such as the Universal Service Fund and Rural Health Care programs. Discusses the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) special focus on providing healthcare services for veterans in rural and remote locations via telehealth. Offers recommendations for Congress regarding broadband access for low-income and rural veterans.
Date: 05/2019
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
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Report on Broadband Deployment in Indian Country, Pursuant to the Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services Act of 2018
Provides an overview of fixed and mobile broadband deployment throughout tribal lands. Offers data comparing rural and urban tribal and non-tribal household broadband coverage. Discusses programs and other actions to increase access to broadband on tribal lands, including a focus on the Rural Health Care Program.
Date: 05/2019
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
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Increasing Rural Nurses' Awareness of a Statewide Health Information Resource: An Educational Outreach Initiative
Reports on strategies designed to promote awareness and usage of HEALWA among rural health professionals in Washington state, including the use of a librarian position. HEALWA is a virtual resource library of evidence-based health information that can be accessed by health practitioners across the state.
Author(s): Kathryn Vela, Tania Bardyn
Citation: Journal of the Medical Library Association, 107(2), 244-250
Date: 04/2019
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Hospitals' Use of Electronic Health Records Data, 2015-2017
Analyzes 2015 to 2017 data from the American Hospital Association Information Technology Survey to determine trends in how electronic health records (EHR) data is used to inform clinical practices and hospital processes. Includes information on EHR data use in small, rural, and Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs).
Author(s): Sonal Parasrampuria, Jawanna Henry
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Protocol for Links (Linking Individual Needs to Community and Clinical Services): A Prospective Matched Observational Study of a Community Health Worker Community Clinical Linkage Intervention on the U.S.-Mexico Border
Describes Linking Individual Needs to Community and Clinical Services (LINKS), a 3-year observational tool developed to examine the impact of CHW-led interventions using electronic health records and other applications to reduce chronic disease risk and promote well-being among Latinos residing in the U.S. Mexico border region of Arizona.
Author(s): Abby M. Lohr, Maia Ingram, Scott C. Carvajal, Kevin Doubleday, Benjamin Aceves, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health,19, 399
Date: 04/2019
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Broadband Mapping: Challenges and Solutions
Recording of a hearing from the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation focusing on efforts to collect more accurate broadband coverage information. Includes testimonies from the U.S. Telecom Association, Competitive Carriers Association, Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, and others regarding current mapping challenges and the importance of broadband access for rural communities, including for healthcare services.
Additional links: Jonathan Spalter Testimony, Mike McCormick Testimony, Mike Oblizalo Testimony, Tim Donovan Testimony
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organizations: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, U.S. Senate
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Electronic Capabilities for Patient Engagement among U.S. Non-Federal Acute Care Hospitals: 2013-2017
Describes hospital trends regarding patients' ability to view, download, and transmit (VDT) electronic health information and other capabilities related to online patient engagement. Provides data and analysis by hospital type, including Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) and rural hospitals, on the percent of: hospitals where patients can VDT their health data electronically; active patient portals; and hospitals offering electronic capabilities to their patients, such as refill requests, bill pay, and other services.
Author(s): JaWanna Henry, Wes Barker, Lolita Kachay
Date: 04/2019
Sponsoring organization: Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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Rural Pulse 2019: Rural/Urban Findings - March 2019
Results of a survey of 1,560 Minnesota residents, exploring their views on issues including access to healthcare, behavioral health services, public transportation, and elder care, and how well these issues are being addressed at the state and local levels. Features statistics including demographics with breakdowns by urban and rural residence, and survey responses with breakdowns by 6 Minnesota regions.
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Blandin Foundation
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North Dakota Tests Innovative Health IT Approaches to Improve Hypertension Identification and Control in Workplaces
Highlights a hypertension identification and control project in North Dakota. The program expanded blood pressure screening access to rural and tribal communities; leveraged health information technology; and included partnerships with local health departments, emergency medical services, health systems, and health insurance companies. Summarizes the program's strategies and activities, results, lessons learned, and recommendations.
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
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