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Rural Health Information Hub

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

Planning and Partnerships: Coordinating Rural Resources for Emergency Preparedness and Response
Discusses how rural healthcare facilities can prepare for natural and man-made disasters, the need for flexibility, and the importance of learning from others' experiences. Includes examples of rural communities and providers responding to a tornado in Iowa, an earthquake in Alaska, and an armed hostage standoff in South Dakota.
Author(s): Tami Lichtenberg
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 03/2019
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Rural Development Telecom Awards, 2012-17
Bar chart showing total awards and total recipients by year for USDA Rural Development telecommunications programs, with totals including the Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program, Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant Program, Community Connect Grant Program, and Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee Program.
Date: 02/2019
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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American Broadband Initiative Milestones Report
Highlights steps for the federal government to take to increase broadband access and increase private-sector investments in broadband. Discusses broadband and mobile broadband deployment and adoption in the U.S. and offers statistics by urban, rural, and tribal lands. Provides recommendations discussing strategies, objectives, and overcoming barriers to increase broadband in urban and rural areas and tribal lands.
Date: 02/2019
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Agriculture
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Promising Practice: NC Office of Rural Health Helps Rural Providers Get Connected to HIT
Highlights the North Carolina Office of Rural Health Information Technology (ORH HIT) program. ORH HIT is working to connect behavioral health and other healthcare providers through a state health information exchange (HIE).
Author(s): Beth Blevins
Date: 02/2019
Sponsoring organization: National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
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American Cancer Society and Community Health Centers Partner to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening
Describes a partnership between the American Cancer Society and a system of community health centers in New Orleans and 7 rural locations in south central Texas, for the purpose of promoting interventions to increase rates of colorectal cancer screening. Examines strategies for reaching diverse, underserved populations and increasing community demand, community access, and provider delivery of services by using electronic health records to track screenings.
Date: 01/2019
Sponsoring organization: Community Preventive Services Task Force
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Rural Development 2018 Performance Report
Report highlights the performance of investments by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development for 2018. Features three successful rural programs funded by USDA Rural Development. Includes a list of Rural Development State Offices.
Date: 2019
Sponsoring organization: USDA Rural Development
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The Relationship Between Rural Setting and Health: Factors that Influence Individuals With or at Risk of CVD - A Summary of the Literature
Describes current literature on rural challenges and opportunities, including cardiovascular risk due to obesity, lack of access to healthcare, workforce shortages, importance of paramedics and community health workers, telehealth and broadband, and impact of the substance use disorder epidemic. Intended to help stakeholders understand the causes of health disparities and to support action to improve the health of rural communities.
Date: 2019
Sponsoring organization: American Heart Association
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Deconstructing the Digital Divide: Identifying the Supply and Demand Factors That Drive Internet Subscription Rates
Provides discussion and analysis on the factors influencing broadband subscription rates, including information based on service availability and community attributes. Describes rural specific examples and contexts throughout.
Author(s): Michael J. R. Martin
Date: 2019
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Census Bureau
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State Innovation Models (SIM) Round 2: Model Test Annual Report Three
Third annual report on the Round 2 State Innovation Models (SIM) program across eleven participating states - Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, and Washington. Addresses the adoption of delivery models and payment reforms related to value-based payment (VBP) and alternative payment models (APMs). Offers an update and lessons learned on strategies to support healthcare delivery transformation related to behavioral health integration, data for improving health care quality and performance, health information technology, care coordination, and workforce development. Describes states' population health activities. Includes discussion of rural issues throughout the report.
Additional links: Findings at a Glance
Date: 2019
Sponsoring organizations: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, RTI International
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Methods Used to Enable Interoperability among U.S. Non-Federal Acute Care Hospitals in 2017
Analyzes 2017 American Hospital Association IT Supplement survey data to describe the methods used by acute care hospitals in the U.S. to support interoperability. Discusses hospital participation in health information networks by hospital size and location. Includes information on the rates of small, rural, and Critical Access Hospitals' (CAH) use of non-electronic methods to exchanging patient health information with partners outside their hospital system.
Author(s): Christian Johnson, Yuriy Pylypchuk, Vaishali Patel
Date: 12/2018
Sponsoring organization: Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology
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