Virtual care is transforming healthcare workflows, clinical documentation, patient experience and engagement, and even infrastructure.
Workforce retention is a top priority in healthcare. Connectivity can support new and veteran talent with access to expertise and on-demand resources.
In 2021, the American Telemedicine Association put connectivity at the very top of its hierarchical framework for addressing health disparities.
Dr. Christine Gall, Healthcare Expert
Health disparities are defined by the CDC as “preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health that are experienced by socially disadvantaged populations.”¹
Facts and figures
Health disparities can be caused by a range of factors, including poverty, environment, inadequate access to care, behaviors, and educational inequalities.
Examples of health disparities in the U.S. include:
Access to healthcare
The ATA stated, “Starting at the top of the framework, connectivity is the means for individuals to access otherwise un- or less-available services through digital modalities. Connectivity necessarily includes all facets of digital interactions for individuals: access to a device, service, and sufficient connectivity speed.”
The digital divide
Studies are increasingly building evidence that one of the barriers to healthcare is the lack of access to the internet—the digital divide in healthcare—has negative effects on an individual's health. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Connect2HealthFCC Task Force found that "one promising solution may lie in a paradigm shift in recognizing that broadband plays a more direct and consequential role as a social determinant of health, if not as a 'super' determinant of health."⁴
The Advancing Broad Connectivity as a Social Determinant of Health Initiative is working to establish the foundation for broadband connectivity as a recognized social determinant of the health domain.
Its goals are to inform current and future FCC policies and programs, support government-wide interest in leveraging broadband to improve population health and health equity, push collaborative projects with public and private stakeholders, encourage more research in the area, and "foster competitive innovation in the health IT sector related to the construct of broadband as a social determinant of health."
The Biden Administration's Affordable Connectivity Program,⁵ part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, provides households up to $30 per month for high-speed internet services and a one-time $100 discount on devices.
But broadband isn't the only factor in reducing healthcare disparities. A 2022 panel at MedCity INVEST in Chicago⁶ concluded that access to an affordable mobile device or home internet are additional factors for digital equity in healthcare. Offline solutions can also address health inequities, such as the use of non-medical facilities like libraries to offer residents access to telehealth services.
Connectivity benefits
Improved connectivity can have far-reaching implications by improving access to healthcare treatments via telemedicine, better health education access and quality, and strengthening social connections and community safety. All with a significant ROI based on a wide range of quality metrics.
For more insights focusing on the benefits of digital connectivity and health equity in healthcare from Dr. Christine Gall, please visit T-Mobile for Business – Healthcare.
Dr. Christine Gall, Healthcare Expert
Dr. Gall has been a healthcare leader for over 30 years. As a nurse, she has practiced in inpatient, outpatient, and homecare settings, allowing unique insights into the continuum of care. Dr. Gall has designed and implemented multiple clinical programs aimed at addressing gaps in services and care for underserved patients.
Dr. Gall's academic credentials include a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a Master of Science Degree in Healthcare Management from the Lubar School of Business Administration at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and a Doctorate Degree in Public Health Leadership from the University of Illinois Chicago. Her Dissertation, funded by the State of Ohio, was on the topic of Mass Casualty Pandemics. Dr. Gall is a Six Sigma Green Belt and has a Certification in Business Analytics from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
Sources
1. Health Disparities. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/disparities/index.htm
2. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities — Before and During the Pandemic. U.S. Government Accountability Office. September 28, 2021. https://www.gao.gov/blog/racial-and-ethnic-health-disparities-and-during-pandemic
3. A Framework for Eliminating Health Disparities Using Telehealth. American Telemedicine Association. 2021.
4. Advancing Broadband Connectivity as a Social Determinant of Health. Federal Communication Commission. https://www.fcc.gov/health/SDOH
5. Affordable Connectivity Program. Federal Communications Commission. https://www.fcc.gov/affordable-connectivity-program
6. Schroeder M. Increasing connectivity to address health disparities requires more than expanding broadband access. MedCity News. March 30, 2022. https://medcitynews.com/2022/03/building-connectivity-beyond-the-broadband-expansion-to-address-health-disparities/
7. Dyrda L. Novant's ROI for 2 key digital investments. Becker's Health IT. February 13, 2023. https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/novants-roi-for-2-key-digital-investments.html