Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Telehealth
Medi-Cal Telehealth Updated Policy
Summarizes a California Department of Health Care Services telehealth policy update for the Medi-Cal fee-for-service program. Highlights key changes related to the definitions, reimbursable services, e-consults, and more.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Summarizes a California Department of Health Care Services telehealth policy update for the Medi-Cal fee-for-service program. Highlights key changes related to the definitions, reimbursable services, e-consults, and more.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Connected Health Policy: The National Telehealth Policy Resource Center
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Supportive Services and Caregiving for Older Rural Adults: Policy Brief and Recommendations to the Secretary
Provides an overview of current supportive services and caregiving policies for rural seniors, in terms of availability, accessibility, and acceptability of services. Explores topics including long-term services and supports, telehealth, care coordination, transportation, stigma, and unpaid caregivers, and describes federal programs for older adults. Offers policy recommendations and considerations.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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Provides an overview of current supportive services and caregiving policies for rural seniors, in terms of availability, accessibility, and acceptability of services. Explores topics including long-term services and supports, telehealth, care coordination, transportation, stigma, and unpaid caregivers, and describes federal programs for older adults. Offers policy recommendations and considerations.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services
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FCC Promoting Telehealth in Rural America: Report and Order
Provides a report and order regarding plans to reform the Rural Health Care Program and promote telehealth, including targeting funding to rural areas. Discusses plans to improve the Telecom Program's efficiency, transparency, and predictability; criteria for prioritizing rural areas for funding; how to increase rural participation in Healthcare Connect Fund Program Consortia and the effectiveness of competitive billing; and how to improve RHC Program administration, the application process, and program oversight. Includes the final rules governing the program and maps showing the rural area tiers for the program.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
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Provides a report and order regarding plans to reform the Rural Health Care Program and promote telehealth, including targeting funding to rural areas. Discusses plans to improve the Telecom Program's efficiency, transparency, and predictability; criteria for prioritizing rural areas for funding; how to increase rural participation in Healthcare Connect Fund Program Consortia and the effectiveness of competitive billing; and how to improve RHC Program administration, the application process, and program oversight. Includes the final rules governing the program and maps showing the rural area tiers for the program.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Federal Communications Commission
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Advancing Health Equity and Access Using Telemedicine: A Geospatial Assessment
Highlights a study on the effectiveness of a virtual urgent care (VUC) program in expanding healthcare access and addressing health equity in rural populations in North Carolina. Compares rural versus urban areas and breaks down data by rates of poverty, Medicare and Medicaid enrollment, and broadband access, among other measures.
Author(s): Saif Khairat, Timothy Haithcoat, Songzi Liu, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 26(8-9), 796–805
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
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Highlights a study on the effectiveness of a virtual urgent care (VUC) program in expanding healthcare access and addressing health equity in rural populations in North Carolina. Compares rural versus urban areas and breaks down data by rates of poverty, Medicare and Medicaid enrollment, and broadband access, among other measures.
Author(s): Saif Khairat, Timothy Haithcoat, Songzi Liu, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 26(8-9), 796–805
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
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Hospital Utilization Among Rural Children Served by Pediatric Neurology Telemedicine Clinics
Compares rates of emergency department visits and hospital admissions at a California academic children's hospital with similar groups of patients who received outpatient pediatric neurology care at remote telemedicine clinics or in-person clinics. Features statistics including baseline characteristics among telemedicine and in-person cohorts, and hospital encounter frequencies and rates.
Author(s): Parul Dayal, Celia H. Chang, William S. Benko
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 2(8)
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
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Compares rates of emergency department visits and hospital admissions at a California academic children's hospital with similar groups of patients who received outpatient pediatric neurology care at remote telemedicine clinics or in-person clinics. Features statistics including baseline characteristics among telemedicine and in-person cohorts, and hospital encounter frequencies and rates.
Author(s): Parul Dayal, Celia H. Chang, William S. Benko
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 2(8)
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
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A Rural Hospital Guide to Improving Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
A guide for rural hospital leaders, Rural Health Clinics, and their partners to help them understand rural chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) services and adopt best practices for COPD diagnosis, treatment, and long-term care. Addresses rural COPD prevalence and services, clinical diagnosis and treatment, service models, care management, technologies, and community support services. Includes considerations for implementing a pulmonary rehab program, roles and staffing needed, and basic billing and coding.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Stroudwater Associates, Technical Assistance and Services Center
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A guide for rural hospital leaders, Rural Health Clinics, and their partners to help them understand rural chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) services and adopt best practices for COPD diagnosis, treatment, and long-term care. Addresses rural COPD prevalence and services, clinical diagnosis and treatment, service models, care management, technologies, and community support services. Includes considerations for implementing a pulmonary rehab program, roles and staffing needed, and basic billing and coding.
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Resource Center, Stroudwater Associates, Technical Assistance and Services Center
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Mobile Telehealth Units and Care Coordinators Improve Emergency Care Services for Rural Arizona Patients
Features an Arizona program focused on lowering ER readmissions through care coordination and EMS telehealth services. Explains how the telehealth services are provided via mobile telehealth units. Describes how care coordination helps meet the behavioral health needs of patients with chronic diseases.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Features an Arizona program focused on lowering ER readmissions through care coordination and EMS telehealth services. Explains how the telehealth services are provided via mobile telehealth units. Describes how care coordination helps meet the behavioral health needs of patients with chronic diseases.
Author(s): Jenn Lukens
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Methodology for Evaluating Models of Telemental Health Delivery Against Population and Healthcare System Needs: Application to Telemental Healthcare for Rural Native Veterans
Presents a study on service delivery models to improve access to mental healthcare for rural American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. Highlights and evaluates potential telehealth and in-person models for increasing access.
Author(s): Jay H. Shore, Cynthia W. Goss, Nancy K. Dailey, Byron D. Bair
Citation: Telemedicine and e-Health, 25(7)
Date: 07/2019
Type: Document
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Presents a study on service delivery models to improve access to mental healthcare for rural American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. Highlights and evaluates potential telehealth and in-person models for increasing access.
Author(s): Jay H. Shore, Cynthia W. Goss, Nancy K. Dailey, Byron D. Bair
Citation: Telemedicine and e-Health, 25(7)
Date: 07/2019
Type: Document
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Geriatrician Roles and the Value of Geriatrics in an Evolving Healthcare System
Research report focusing on how geriatric roles are changing as healthcare systems and organizations reorganize care. Features information on ways telemedicine is used in geriatric care delivery in rural areas, including the TeleECHO (Extension for Community Health Outcomes) model.
Author(s): Timothy Bates, Aubri Kottek, Joanne Spetz
Date: 07/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of California San Francisco Health Workforce Research Center on Long-Term Care
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Research report focusing on how geriatric roles are changing as healthcare systems and organizations reorganize care. Features information on ways telemedicine is used in geriatric care delivery in rural areas, including the TeleECHO (Extension for Community Health Outcomes) model.
Author(s): Timothy Bates, Aubri Kottek, Joanne Spetz
Date: 07/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of California San Francisco Health Workforce Research Center on Long-Term Care
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Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): A Primer on Telehealth
Addresses how the Veterans Health Administration (VA) is using telehealth to increase access to care for veterans. Provides an overview of VA telehealth programs and requirements, the impact of the VA MISSION Act, issues for Congress to consider, and rural veterans.
Date: 07/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Addresses how the Veterans Health Administration (VA) is using telehealth to increase access to care for veterans. Provides an overview of VA telehealth programs and requirements, the impact of the VA MISSION Act, issues for Congress to consider, and rural veterans.
Date: 07/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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