The Benton Institute for Broadband & Society and Center for Health Law  and Policy Innovation have released a report that looks at the impact (and potential) of broadband on health care. They report…

This brief explores the ways broadband and healthcare stakeholders can work together to close the broadband health gap.

The make the case for connection between broadband and health…

The outline numerous ways broadband facilitates healthcare and the benefits. Here’s one example:

Remote Patient Monitoring
Digital devices are increasingly used to monitor patient health,12 including blood pressure cuffs, glucometers (to test blood sugar), pulse oximeters (to check blood oxygen levels), ECGs (to capture heart function), wearable activity trackers, Bluetooth thermometers, and scales.13
Remote patient monitoring can improve diabetes care, hypertension, cancer treatment, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.14 The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) advocates for remote patient monitoring for pregnant and postpartum women due to similar outcomes but fewer higher risk in-person visits.15
In some instances, a remote patient monitoring device is equipped with its own independent network, allowing patients without general internet access to send data from their homes to their care team in real time.16 However, this practice is rare.

There’s a nice chart on how Broadband Impacts All Other Social Determinants of Health…

The offer some high level actions and include a more detailed plan. I’ve included just the high level points – but the detailed plan is worth checking out.

Key Action 1: Screening for Broadband Access and Digital Literacy

Key Action 2: Collaboration with Community Anchor Institutions

Key Action 3: Establish a Broadband-Healthcare Working Group

And a conclusion – but the power in this report is really in the visually presented details…

High-speed internet enables a wide range of healthcare services, from telehealth to hospital at-home programs. By influencing other key social determinants of health—including housing, transportation, education, employment, and access to food—broadband serves as a ‘super’ social determinant of health. Efforts that improve access while prioritizing patients, empowering communities, strengthening the role of anchor institutions, and enabling stakeholder collaboration are winning solutions that build a stronger foundation to close the broadband health gap.