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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Telehealth

Trends in Outpatient Telemedicine Utilization Among Rural Medicare Beneficiaries, 2010 to 2019
Examines the growth of telehealth utilization among rural Medicare beneficiaries between 2010-2019. Compares telehealth use across beneficiaries with a severe mental illness diagnosis, other mental health diagnoses, and with no mental health diagnoses. Describes trends for mental health versus non-mental health visits and across clinician specialties. Presents data on rural Medicare beneficiary characteristics with and without a telemedicine visit in 2019, including age, race and ethnicity, sex, U.S. Census division, and more.
Author(s): Michael L. Barnett, Haiden A. Huskamp, Alisa B. Bush, et al.
Citation: JAMA Health Forum, 2(10), e213282
Date: 10/2021
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Household Experiences in Rural America During the Delta Variant Outbreak
Examines the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural U.S. households. Covers financial, education, childcare, health and healthcare, and employment and work-related impacts related to the pandemic.
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organizations: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, National Public Radio, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Health Care in Rural America: Focus on Internet and Telehealth Use
Presents results of a survey of rural adults age 40 and older conducted between November-December 2020, addressing access to specialty health services, infrastructure gaps in rural areas, and utilization of telehealth services. Provides data on internet use relative to overall health, internet access at home and with smartphones, cost issues, and highlights concerns and barriers to telehealth utilization.
Additional links: Annotated Questionnaire
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: AARP
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Preparing Health Professions Students to Serve Southern Rural Communities in the Time of COVID-19 and Beyond: A Model for Interprofessional Online Telehealth Education
Describes a model for online telehealth interprofessional education (IPE) designed to meet the needs of rural communities in the South. Offers an overview of the program's design and implementation and highlights lessons learned related to training fundamentals, staffing and planning, faculty involvement, technology concerns, and Heath Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance, and more.
Author(s): Teri Browne, Selina H. McKinney, Lauren Duck, et al.
Citation: Southern Medical Journal, 114(10), 665-667
Date: 10/2021
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COVID-19 and the Rural Health Workforce: Recommendations to Improve Health in Illinois
Provides an overview of the healthcare workforce in rural Illinois and describes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Offers policy recommendations to strengthen the rural health workforce in the state, improve service delivery, and enhance access to specialty care via telehealth services.
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: Southern Illinois University (SIU) Medicine Department of Population Science and Policy
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State of Telehealth: Removing Barriers to Access and Improving Patient Outcomes
Presents a recording of an October 7, 2021, hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband. Examines the importance of access to telehealth services, telehealth utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of the pandemic on telehealth regulations, and the role of broadband access in the public health response. Features testimony from the American Academy of Family Physicians, Project ECHO, Avel eCare, and the Federal Communications Commission.
Additional links: American Academy of Family Physicians Testimony, Avel eCare Testimony, Federal Communications Commission Testimony, Project ECHO Testimony
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
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State Cross-Agency Collaboration During the COVID-19 Pandemic Response
Examines cross-agency approaches to COVID-19 response efforts in Illinois, Indiana, and Rhode Island. Identifies key themes, lessons, and best practices for other states to consider when preparing for future public health emergencies. Highlights efforts to serve rural populations.
Author(s): Elinor Higgins, Rebecca Cooper
Date: 10/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Academy for State Health Policy
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Tippah County Hospital Spotlight Video
Discusses how the Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Program helped Mississippi's Tippah County Hospital grow its telehealth program.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Resource Center
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An Evaluation of Telehealth Use by Medicare Beneficiaries in 2020
Research brief examining telehealth use for outpatient evaluation and management from January 2019 to December 2020 based on a 20% sample of fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries. Charts monthly trends for in-person and telehealth visits and compares rural and urban telehealth use, offering policy implications related to rural access to services.
Author(s): Chad Ellimoottil, Ziwei Zhu, Rod Dunn, et al.
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation
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Restoring Access to Maternity Care in Rural America
Examines regional partnerships to build rural access to maternity care through hub-and-spoke models of education and support from urban healthcare organizations to rural maternity providers, investments in telehealth, and remote monitoring systems. Discusses barriers to maternity care access in rural areas and highlights local examples of maternal health provider networks, investments in the rural maternity workforce, and policy implications of developing rural maternity care.
Author(s): Martha Hostetter, Sarah Klein
Date: 09/2021
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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