What available health information technology resources are specific to rural communities?
Toolkits and Technical Assistance
- The Rural Assistance Center Rural Health Information Technology Toolkit
is a rural-specific evaluation tool funded by the Office of Rural Health Policy. - The Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research Health Information Technology Toolkit helps health care organizations plan, implement, and evaluate health information technology (HIT).
- The Stratis Health HIT Toolkit for Small and Rural Communities is a CD-ROM that provides organizations with tools, tested in the Critical Access Hospital environment, to aid in planning for and making informed choices for HIT.
- The Rural Health Clinic Technical Assistance Series is a series of conference calls produced in conjunction with the National Association of Rural Health Clinics.
- Meaningful Use and Critical Access Hospitals: A Primer on HIT Adoption in the Rural Health Care Setting [PDF - 532 KB] is a short publication with several references to resources available to rural providers.
Funding Opportunities
- The Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Health Care Program provides funding to eligible health care providers for telecommunications services, including broadband, necessary for the provision of health care.
- The Rural Utilities Service provides programs to finance rural America’s telecommunications infrastructure, including the Broadband Loan Program, the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program, the Community Connect Grant Program, and the Telecommunications Infrastructure Loan Program.
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Programs provide grants to assist in the development of essential community facilities in rural areas; funds can be used to construct, enlarge, or improve community facilities for health care.
Telehealth
- The National Rural Health Association published the Telehealth Technical Assistance Manual [PDF - 1.66 MB] to assist in the planning of telehealth and telemedicine projects for rural community health centers.
- The Health Resources and Services Administration’s Telehealth Module provides an overview of telehealth with an emphasis on its application in a rural setting.
Implementing EHRs – Planning Your Approach
Several studies estimate the cost of purchasing and installing an electronic health record (EHR) ranges from $15,000 to $70,000 per provider.1-5 Costs vary depending on whether you select in-...
Planning is an important component of any electronic health record (EHR) implementation. Below you will find some of tactical steps that typically occur during the EHR implementation planning phase...
Creation and management of an effective electronic health record (EHR) implementation team is a crucial process. Once you have identified potential members of the implementation team, follow these...
The introduction of an electronic health record (EHR) into a practice presents great operational challenges as well as opportunities for the improvement of patient care. Adopting an EHR will...
You should start electronic health record (EHR) implementation planning as soon as you complete the practice readiness assessment and decide to adopt an electronic health record. Planning draws on...
Successfully creating and managing an internal planning team is crucial to planning success. Team members should bring differing perspectives on how the electronic health record (EHR) will be used...
For a successful electronic health record (EHR) implementation, you may need to assess the need for additional EHR infrastructure investments. The first step to making a sound hardware decision is...
Even if your practice has an existing IT system, your practice may still need support in achieving meaningful use to receive incentive payments, and vendor resources may be stretched as providers...
Implementation teams interested in maximizing the benefits of electronic health records (EHRs) should pay close attention to these important EHR workflow redesign areas. Workflow analysis should...
Regional Extension Centers (RECs) are not vendors selling electronic health record (EHR) systems or products. Your REC is a trusted advisor with the same aims as you – to help ensure quality...
Using electronic health records (EHRs) will help health care providers build a sustainable medical practice. The next generation of health care professionals will expect and demand that their own...
Tip 1: Identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in your current workflow. Decide which aspects of your workflow need improvement and prioritize them. Then do the work in stages, creating wins along...
Redesigning your workflow helps you get the most value from implementing an electronic health record (EHR). To get started, analyze your existing workflow. Create a visual map of how work is...
To address the growing demand for highly skilled health IT experts, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) funds the Health IT Workforce Development Program....
There are several grant programs and funding opportunities intended to help rural providers and rural communities implement health information technology (IT). Review the following websites for more...
Overcoming limited number of staff and resources is challenging in rural communities. No model fits all organizations thus each provider office must determine the best ways to recruit and retain...
Several studies estimate the cost of purchasing and installing an electronic health record (EHR) ranges from $15,000 to $70,000 per provider.1-5 Costs vary depending on whether you select in-...
Planning is an important component of any electronic health record (EHR) implementation. Below you will find some of tactical steps that typically occur during the EHR implementation planning phase...
Creation and management of an effective electronic health record (EHR) implementation team is a crucial process. Once you have identified potential members of the implementation team, follow these...
The introduction of an electronic health record (EHR) into a practice presents great operational challenges as well as opportunities for the improvement of patient care. Adopting an EHR will...
You should start electronic health record (EHR) implementation planning as soon as you complete the practice readiness assessment and decide to adopt an electronic health record. Planning draws on...
Successfully creating and managing an internal planning team is crucial to planning success. Team members should bring differing perspectives on how the electronic health record (EHR) will be used...
For a successful electronic health record (EHR) implementation, you may need to assess the need for additional EHR infrastructure investments. The first step to making a sound hardware decision is...
Even if your practice has an existing IT system, your practice may still need support in achieving meaningful use to receive incentive payments, and vendor resources may be stretched as providers...
Implementation teams interested in maximizing the benefits of electronic health records (EHRs) should pay close attention to these important EHR workflow redesign areas. Workflow analysis should...
Regional Extension Centers (RECs) are not vendors selling electronic health record (EHR) systems or products. Your REC is a trusted advisor with the same aims as you – to help ensure quality...
Using electronic health records (EHRs) will help health care providers build a sustainable medical practice. The next generation of health care professionals will expect and demand that their own...
Tip 1: Identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in your current workflow. Decide which aspects of your workflow need improvement and prioritize them. Then do the work in stages, creating wins along...
Redesigning your workflow helps you get the most value from implementing an electronic health record (EHR). To get started, analyze your existing workflow. Create a visual map of how work is...
To address the growing demand for highly skilled health IT experts, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) funds the Health IT Workforce Development Program....
There are several grant programs and funding opportunities intended to help rural providers and rural communities implement health information technology (IT). Review the following websites for more...
Overcoming limited number of staff and resources is challenging in rural communities. No model fits all organizations thus each provider office must determine the best ways to recruit and retain...
