Health systems have emerged as crucial collaborators in government efforts to improve access to high-speed internet in rural communities.
Nearly 30 million people in the U.S. live in places that lack broadband infrastructure, according to the Commerce Department. This digital divide has stark economic implications for communities that struggle to recruit businesses and attract and retain residents. At the same time, for a host of reasons, these same people lack access to high-quality healthcare. Providers believe they can help bridge the gap by getting people connected to better internet service.
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Federal and state agencies are making significant investments in broadband access and aspire to provide high-speed, affordable internet to everyone. In 2021, the federal government distributed $65 billion for broadband expansion as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of that year, the majority of which went to states. Projects that lay groundwork for high-speed connectivity are underway.
Initiatives from the Federal Communications Commission and the Agriculture Department aim to translate high-speed internet access into improved healthcare access. Health systems are pivotal to this effort and collaborate with government officials to provide communities with broadband that enables patients to enroll in digital health programs and connects rural providers to resources.
For instance, New Orleans-based Ochsner Health System is working with Louisiana officials to extend broadband access that facilitates digital health services for chronic disease management in rural areas. Little Rock-based University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Health partnered with the state and internet service providers to target communities with federal funding that supports similar initiatives.
"The great advantage of digital health technologies is that they scale really well," said Dr. Joseph Sanford, director of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Institute for Digital Health and Innovation. "Once you do the heavy lift to roll out the infrastructure, you get almost all the next steps for free."
The challenges extend beyond infrastructure development. Even with cables laid and fiber optics installed, rural patients and providers encounter obstacles such high costs for internet service and devices. Providers and technology developers also strive to design sustainable digital health programs, improve technological literacy among patients and avoid perpetuating health disparities in virtual settings.
Many health systems are participating in grant-funded programs to build rural infrastructure, connect residents to funding opportunities and educate people on ways to access healthcare services online.
Texoma Medical Center in Denison, Texas, won a $200,000 grant from the Agriculture Department to expand its telepsychiatry program into rural and tribal communities to address provider shortages and address escalating mental health demand. The project is expected to enable the hospital, owned by King of Prussia, Pennsylvania-based Universal Health Services, to offer services to almost 8,000 patients. The University of Washington School of Dentistry received a $940,000 grant to expand a teledentistry program in rural Washington state and neighboring Montana that's projected to reach 57,000 patients.
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Health is tapping FCC dollars to enroll patients in the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides low-income families up to $30 per month for internet service and $100 toward certain devices. The health system helps the state identify high-need areas and screens patients to determine eligibility for assistance programs.
The health system operates a telehealth platform its providers may use to communicate with and treat patients. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Health provides digital health programs relevant to specific needs and issues, such as high-risk pregnancies, strokes, virtual urgent care, HIV prevention, sexual violence and psychology. Some are designed to attract new patients while others aim to facilitate care management for existing patients, Sanford said.
"Building out this infrastructure democratizes access to care," Sanford said. "We have patients in Arkansas that live three hours, one way, from our academic medical center here in Little Rock. Asking someone to encumber a full day of time and effort for what might be an hour clinic visit is not a good matching of resources."
