The Federal Communications Commission has announced a "rural health care pilot program" designed to increase access to acute, primary and preventive health care in rural areas.
It said it dedicated over $417 million to the construction of 69 state or regional broadband "telehealth" networks in 42 states that would give patients in rural areas access to medical specialists and allow intensive care doctors and nurses to care for and monitor patients around the clock remotely.
Isolated rural clinics are in critical need of broadband Internet service to allow them to tap into the expertise of more modern, urban medical centers, the agency said, adding that the pilot would support the connection of over 6,000 public and non-profit heath care providers — such as hospitals, clinics, universities and research centers, behavioral health sites, correctional facility clinics, and community health centers.
The FCC stated that the networks would cut costs and travel time for consumers, decrease errors, and promote information sharing, and that through coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as other public health officials it will help prepare for health emergencies such as a pandemic flu.
Participants will be required to implement health IT standards as set forth by HHS and are eligible for coverage for up to 85 percent of the costs associated with the design, engineering and construction of their networks, the FCC said.
