What can we do to help use the power of information and communication technologies to reach every population that HHS serves?

The explosion in health technology has brought us everything from iPads in the emergency room to advanced artificial limbs; and importantly a new industry in mobile health tech. With all this innovation, it is worth asking ourselves:

At the HHS IDEA Lab, we have been scanning the environment to learn more about this problem. First we asked -- Do vulnerable populations, minority communities, and those with lower socioeconomic status have access to health information technology, mobile phones and the internet? The answer to this question is a resounding YES. Even though there is still a digital divide in the US, it is shrinking. But the growing trend of mobile and other technology adoption by the populations served by HHS is not being matched by innovative ideas and solutions designed to meet their specific needs.