Broadband’s potentially transformative role in health care delivery was a major focus of the National Broadband Plan, and we are following through in many ways. We are in the midst of designing programs that would provide up to $400 million annually to support broadband networks capable of bringing high-quality health care to patients no matter where they live. We have gained valuable insight in how to support broadband-enabled health care through our existing Rural Health Care Pilot Program. The National Broadband Plan recommended creating a new program that will help build networks where they are lacking and provide ongoing support where there is a need for it. This is critical: up to 30 percent of rural clinics don’t have adequate broadband technology, and so can’t do things like offer remote video care, exchange MRIs and x-rays, or deliver health care records.
We want to engage the public in our reform process, and the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposing the changes is the vehicle for getting substantive comments and suggestions so we can adjust our proposals, as appropriate. Comments on these reform initiatives are due September 8th and reply comments are due September 23.
Beyond the Rural Health Care programs that I help oversee, the National Broadband Plan takes a comprehensive look at how broadband can play a role in the delivery of advanced health care. Following recommendations in the Plan, we have begun working with the FDA to streamline our review of wireless medical devices to provide more clarity for investors and innovators while protecting consumer safety. And within the Commission, there is a focus on freeing up more wireless spectrum, which can support devices that provide remote monitoring of a patient’s vital signs and let a doctor know, in real time, when a patient might be heading for trouble.
We’re glad the FCC can play a role in helping institutions like Seattle Children’s Hospital do the most important work there is: protecting the health and lives of all children, no matter where they live.
Chairman Genachowski might like to investigate the HIMSS Medical Banking Project mbproject.org