Introduction
On December 13, 2024, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced significant updates to its Mapping Broadband Health in America platform. This enhanced tool, now incorporating a range of new health metrics, aims to provide deeper insights into the connection between expanding broadband connectivity and critical health outcomes, with a particular focus on maternal health.
Background
The FCC administers two healthcare subsidy programs under its Universal Service Fund: the Rural Health Care (RHC) program and the COVID-19 Telehealth program. The RHC program provides funding to eligible health care providers to support the cost of broadband and telecommunications services that enable telehealth and telemedicine. The COVID-19 Telehealth program was created during the pandemic to provide funding to eligible health care providers to purchase telecommunications services, information services, and connected devices to provide connected care services to patients in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to these efforts, the FCC's Mapping Broadband Health in America platform was launched to visualize and analyze the relationship between broadband access and chronic diseases. The platform has evolved to address various public health challenges, including opioid abuse and maternal health. The latest update significantly expands the platform's capabilities, making it a valuable tool for researchers, policymakers, and the public.
Key Features of the Updated Platform
- Enhanced Maternal Health Data – The updated platform now includes comprehensive data on maternal health risk factors, such as pre-pregnancy conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. It also provides insights into infant health outcomes, including infant mortality rates, low birth weight, and preterm birth. By overlaying this data with broadband access information, the platform reveals the crucial link between connectivity and health outcomes, highlighting areas where interventions are needed most.
- Expanded Broadband Data – The platform now features updated information on broadband availability, adoption, and mobile access. This expanded data set provides a more comprehensive picture of connectivity across the country, allowing users to identify areas with high health needs and low broadband resources, known as "Double Burden" counties. Conversely, "Opportunity" counties are those with existing broadband infrastructure that can be leveraged to improve health outcomes.
- New Health Metrics – In addition to maternal health, the platform now includes data on breast cancer mortality, incidence, and access to mammography services. In the future, the FCC intends to incorporate data on other common cancers. The platform also builds on existing opioid data with new information on opioid use disorder and HIV prevalence, providing a more comprehensive view of the opioid crisis.
- Social Determinants of Health – Recognizing the impact of social and economic factors on health, the platform now includes data on housing, transportation, food insecurity, and poverty. This holistic view allows users to understand the broader context of health disparities and identify areas where social determinants may exacerbate health challenges.
- Redesigned Functionality and User Experience – Key features include curated information panels for quick access to data, an "Isolate geographies" feature to focus on specific states or regions, dynamic charts and statistics that update based on user selections, and radar charts for easy comparisons across geographic areas. The platform also offers curated experiences for novice users, with multiple entry points and sample maps.
Potential Use Cases
For professionals working in healthcare, telecommunications, or public policy, the updated Mapping Broadband Health in America platform offers several valuable insights and opportunities:
- Policy Development and Advocacy – The platform's comprehensive data sets and visualizations can inform policy development and advocacy efforts. Healthcare professionals can use the platform to identify areas with significant health disparities and advocate for targeted interventions, such as expanding broadband access through the FCC's Rural Health Care Programs, or increasing funding for maternal health services.
- Litigation Support – In cases involving healthcare access or public health issues, the platform's data can serve as valuable evidence. Policy advocates can use the platform to demonstrate the impact of broadband connectivity on health outcomes, which could also support arguments related to negligence, discrimination, or other legal claims.
- Corporate Social Responsibility – Companies looking to enhance their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives can use the platform to identify areas where their efforts can have the greatest impact. For example, telecommunications companies can leverage the platform to prioritize broadband expansion projects in underserved areas with high health needs.
Conclusion
The FCC's updated Mapping Broadband Health in America platform represents a significant advancement in the effort to address health disparities and improve healthcare access. By integrating comprehensive health data with broadband connectivity information, the platform provides valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and health care professionals.
Originally published by Healthcare News and Healthcare Michigan
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