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

Electronic Data Capture of Patient-Report Questionnaire in Patient Management in a Rural Population
Explores the feasibility and acceptability of electronic patient-reported outcomes among metabolic and bariatric surgery patients at an academic medical center in rural West Virginia. Describes results of a patient questionnaire regarding the experience of using a tablet to complete psychosocial evaluations before seeing a behavioral health provider and their preference for using a tablet or traditional paper-and-pencil forms.
Author(s): Hayley Harman, Ashleigh A. Pona, Lawrence Tabone, et al.
Citation: JSLS: Journal of the Society of Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgeons, 29(3), e2025.00068
Date: 09/2025
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Implementing High-Quality Primary Care: A Policy Menu for States
Presents policy strategies utilized by states to strengthen primary care across five priority areas. Strategies cover primary care reimbursement; addressing individual, community, and market-level barriers to care; expanding and supporting the primary care workforce; and supporting practice transformation. Includes rural references throughout.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organizations: Milbank Memorial Fund, National Academy for State Health Policy
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Rural Resource: Availability of Obstetric Simulation Training by State
Explores the availability of simulation training and continuing medical education (CME)/distance learning opportunities for both rural hospitals with obstetric units and those without obstetric units. Presents findings of an environmental scan of national, regional, and state-level obstetric training resources. Offers recommendations for ways State Flex Programs and Critical Access Hospitals can use this resource to identify applicable simulation trainings.
Author(s): Madeleine Pick, Hamdi Abas, Megan Lahr
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: Flex Monitoring Team
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Forces Driving Change in Rural North Carolina
Examines major forces driving change in rural North Carolina communities, which influence people, communities, and businesses. Includes sections on rural healthcare inequities, social determinants of health, and the long-term impact of COVID-19 on rural people. Features a county-level map showing health outcome rankings as of 2022, and statistics on the number of healthcare professionals per 10,000 people, with breakdowns by urban, suburban, and rural areas.
Date: 09/2025
Sponsoring organization: NC Rural Center
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Video and Telephone Telehealth Use and Web-Based Patient Portal Activation Among Rural-Dwelling Patients: Retrospective Medical Record Review and Policy Implications
Analyzes patient characteristics associated with telehealth use among rural California adults, utilizing electronic health record data of 9,359 patients dwelling in rural California ZIP codes. Provides data on patients' telehealth modality, provider type, portal activation, level of rurality, age, primary language, and other clinical and demographic characteristics. Discusses policy approaches to improving telehealth access in rural areas.
Author(s): Meghan Rowe Ferrara, Gina Intinarelli-Shuler, Susan A Chapman
Citation: Journal of Medical Internet Research, 27, e67226
Date: 08/2025
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Health-Related Internet Use among Adults In The Midwest, Metro and Nonmetro Geographies
Examines trends in health-related internet use in Midwestern adults. Utilizes data from 1,220 adult survey respondents and provides metro versus nonmetro data breakdowns on drive to seek online health information, internet searching literacy, device use, utilization of health-related social media and videos, and more. Discusses differences in rural and urban populations' abilities to utilize the internet for health needs.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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Explaining the Diffusion of Project ECHO
Analyzes the creation and reach of the rural intervention Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (Project ECHO) to identify factors contributing to its rapid adoption as a model for mentorship and sharing knowledge in healthcare.
Author(s): James W. Dearing, R. Sam Larson
Citation: Implementation Science Communications, 6, 88
Date: 08/2025
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The Impact of Nutrition Training Programs on Knowledge, Confidence, and Behavioral Intention Among School Nutrition Professionals
Examines training programs for rural school nutrition professionals (SNPs) that include flexible scheduling and considerations related to staff and resource shortages. Utilizes observational data and pre- and post-training evaluations to analyze SNP knowledge and confidence to implement new culinary behaviors after the virtual and in-person flexible training format.
Author(s): Wenhao Zhang, Brianna Routh, Molly Stenberg, Haley Scott
Citation: Journal of School Health, 95(11), 924-932
Date: 08/2025
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The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program: Issues for the 119th Congress
Provides an overview of the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which was created in 2021 to provide broadband service to locations that lack access. Describes concerns that have been raised by stakeholders regarding the implementation of the BEAD Program. Presents options for Congress related to overseeing and addressing concerns about the BEAD Program.
Date: 08/2025
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Quantitative Effects of Mechanical Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Devices in Rural American Emergency Medical Services: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Examines the effect of mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation on out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidents in rural areas and the usefulness of new technologies on rural emergency medical services (EMS). Utilizes 2017–2019 National Emergency Medical Services Information System data to analyze 585 rural cardiac arrests and the impact of mechanical cardiopulmonary resuscitation on EMS care quality.
Author(s): Peter H. King, Esmaeil Bahalkeh
Citation: International Journal of Emergency Medicine, 18, 151
Date: 08/2025
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