April 16, 2013
In an op-ed for Politic365, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation President and CEO Melanie Campbell (who is also on of our Members) writes about the promise of healthcare powered by broadband for minority communities:
In 20 or 30 years, when we look back on today, we may realize that the most important medical enabler of the last generation is, ironically, high-speed broadband networks. After all, the doctor monitoring your heart and asking you questions during an online evaluation can’t do that using an old voice-centric telephone line. The broadband connection has to be robust and dynamic, capable of carrying the data-intensive traffic to and from patients and their doctors or healthcare specialists.
As FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn said to a civil rights conference in Memphis, TN, “Access to broadband means access to better education, healthcare, job opportunities, news and information.” Policies affecting access to America’s communications revolution will have an immense role in the future of affordable healthcare.
That’s why telemedicine, including the potential for more accessible and affordable care, depends on the nationwide build out of high-speed broadband networks.