Blog
Planning For the Future of Patient Care: Telehealth and Broadband Access
It’s no surprise that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected rural hospitals in many ways, but one aspect that may come as a surprise to some—particularly amid today’s technology-focused society—is that many rural hospitals serve communities that still lack basic Internet access. Although the majority of Americans consider Internet access a basic necessity for day-to-day life, not all people have this luxury.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) estimated in 2018 that 25 percent of rural Americans were lacking broadband internet access, compared to only 2 percent of their urban counterparts. This...
