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On New Year’s Eve 2021, The federal government launched the Affordable Connectivity Program, giving more than 20 million American households access to the internet for a monthly subsidy of $30 (up to $75 on some tribal lands) .but Funding the program If Congress doesn’t act by Friday, the program will expire in April, depriving many families of critical resources, especially access to online telehealth.
people in rural areas Probability is high They say they have more problems accessing the internet than in suburban or urban areas, with nearly 25% saying internet access is a major problem. However, even rural areas are facing There is a serious shortage of local doctors. This increases the importance of telemedicine,Over the past decade, the CDC has repeatedly found that telemedicine is an effective tool to help rural patients manage chronic health conditions, such as home rehabilitation after stroke or diabetes.
Telehealth services existed before the coronavirus and were used to reach patients in rural areas, but pandemic stay-at-home orders have increased access to virtual appointments to see some patients. More and more doctors are using internet-based telemedicine to The experts I spoke with agreed that cutting off internet access could exacerbate existing health care disparities.
Katy Schmid, senior director of The Arc, an organization serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, is leading efforts to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities maintain reliable internet access. Masu. She is concerned about the impact the end of the Affordable Connections program will have on patients with disabilities. “This funding end will definitely impact people with disabilities who use telemedicine, especially those in rural areas who cannot drive,” Schmidt said.
“While not all health care services can and should not be provided remotely, telehealth is becoming an increasingly essential component in a variety of healthcare settings,” University of Virginia Mid-Atlantic Telemedicine Resource center director Kathy Sue Wibberley told me. “When certain people are excluded from accessing telehealth services, it inherently becomes a health equity issue.”
Dr. Kevin M. Curtis, medical director of the Dartmouth Health Center for Connected Care and Telemedicine, said that for some people who are far from a medical clinic or specialist, telemedicine appointments can be a timely way to get to their doctor. It may be the only way to receive medical attention. Based on his experience working in northern New England, Curtis said that “academic medical centers tend to have more specialists, even though other regions have severe specialty shortages.” points out.
Despite the Affordable Connectivity Program’s substantial funding, it has not closed all the broadband gaps when it comes to telehealth. At Dartmouth Health, he said, nearly one-fifth of telehealth visits for patients in Vermont, a largely rural state, are conducted only by voice due to technological barriers such as broadband. It’s not fair to them,” Curtis said.
Dr. Lisa Adams, who directs Dartmouth College’s Center for Global Health Equity, said unreliable internet access has implications for other medical practices as well. She said: “We always say this to our patients. [patient] The portal is the most secure way to share health information,” says Adams. “But you do need adequate internet access to use the portal.” While Adams finds telemedicine very convenient, it also allows health care providers to make home visits in more rural areas. We look forward to receiving more funding.
Continuing to expand access to the internet will build equity in telemedicine. This is “fundamentally about providing an equal opportunity for individuals to receive care through telehealth, regardless of their social, economic or geographic circumstances,” Sue Wibberley said.
