Broadband Access as a Public Health Issue: The Role of Law in Expanding Broadband Access and Connecting Underserved Communities for Better Health Outcomes

Abstract

Broadband internet access is a super-determinant of health that plays an important role in healthcare and public health outcomes. Laws and policies shape implementation and use of broadband for healthcare and public health. Connecting broadband and telehealth laws with their health impacts, through legal epidemiological research, enables states to make evidence-based decisions to improve health outcomes for underserved populations.

Accessibility of Virtual Visits for Urgent Care Among US Hospitals: a Descriptive Analysis

“…Broadband access is a welldescribed limitation for rural and low-income communities. 6 The pattern that emerges in this survey is all too familiar: Access favors generally healthy, well-off, English-speaking patients. We suspect this pattern results from a combination of telehealth policy constraints (e.g., limited reimbursement) and neglect on the part of clinicians and hospitals.…”

Telemedicine Services During COVID‐19: Considerations for Medically Underserved Populations

“…4 According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), there are approximately 24 million Americans who lack access to broadband, defined as Internet connections supporting sufficient download (25 megabits per second) and upload (3 megabits per second) speeds. 4 Nearly one-third of Americans in rural areas lack broadband, and disparities are greater among people of lower socioeconomic status and people on tribal lands. 4 Older adults are also at a disadvantage: just 51% of Americans 65 and older have broadband at home, only 42% have a cellular phone, and even fewer have a "smart phone" capable of streaming video.…”

“…4 Nearly one-third of Americans in rural areas lack broadband, and disparities are greater among people of lower socioeconomic status and people on tribal lands. 4 Older adults are also at a disadvantage: just 51% of Americans 65 and older have broadband at home, only 42% have a cellular phone, and even fewer have a "smart phone" capable of streaming video. 5 The patient population we serve at our clinic represents a microcosm of clinical panels across the United States.…”

Emerging Issues of Intelligent Assistive Technology Use Among People With Dementia and Their Caregivers: A U.S. Perspective

“…According to analysis of a Pew Research Center survey of U.S. adults conducted in early 2019, most older adults (74%) ages 55-73 claim to have broadband in their homes, while among those in the 74 to 91 age bracket, only 48% say they have broadband (8). Despite progress in expanding internet connectivity, ∼24 million people in the United States live in "digital deserts" without broadband access, including ∼19 million rural Americans and 1.4 million Americans living on Tribal lands (10). Broadband is a key technology platform to deliver many IAT caregiving interventions helpful for persons with dementia such as geofencing sensors and falls monitoring.…”