Broadband for rural America?s health

Health Data Management recently reported on the ability of telemedicine to bring 21st century medical technology to Americans living in rural communities. Many of these health benefits, however, are unavailable to those without broadband connectivity.

Earlier this summer Jay Maxwell, CEO of Pixius Communications in Kansas, said in testimony before a federal advisory committee that despite recent leaps in telemedicine, “none of this is possible without access to a quality high-speed broadband Internet connection.” “While this access is common in urban and suburban areas,” he added, “it is almost a luxury in rural America.”

Not only are urban communities often underserved in terms of broadband, medical facilities and practitioners are equally hard to come by. Maxwell noted that in Kansas, 29% of the population is located in rural parts of the state, while only 4% of doctors are.

Telemedicine offers a variety of options for rural patients without easy access to healthcare. Advanced services like video conferencing between doctors and patients, transmission of large files like MRI results and tissue sample pictures, remote diagnoses, and preventive medicine programs are all readily available through a broadband Internet connection.

Census data tells us where aging, rural residents are underserved by healthcare resources. National broadband coverage is not nearly as researched. “Before we can connect the country, we need to know with greater accuracy who currently has coverage,” he said. That’s why $350 million of the $7.2 billion broadband stimulus funds are dedicated to broadband mapping and community technology planning teams.

Bringing broadband to rural communities is about providing equal access to all Americans. Help raise awareness of the broadband deficit in America and bridge the digital divide today.

Broadband Vital for Rural Areas (Health Data Management)

Maxwell’s complete Testimony (Department of Health and Human Services)

Senate hearing extols the benefits of telemedicine (Speed Matters)

Broadband Stimulus Summary (Speed Matters)

Raise Awareness (Speed Matters)