Broadband Key to Expanding Telehealth's Pandemic Gains, Say Experts

Telehealth can't succeed without expanding access to affordable broadband internet, witnesses told the Senate Commerce Committee on Oct 7. But extending the regulatory flexibilities around this access granted under the public health emergency, which are slated to expire when the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, is also critical, they said, stressing that the benefits of telemedicine can't be understated. But a "prerequisite" to leveraging innovative telehealth models in rural areas or underserved urban areas is access to high-quality, high-speed broadband connectivity, said Sanjeev Arora, MD, founder of Project ECHO and a professor of internal medicine at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Making these broadband internet services affordable is key to narrowing the digital divide, witnesses agreed.