Fixed Wireless Is Helping to Close the Gap for Telehealth in Rural Areas Business
We've got some great deals going on right now exclusively for our online customers... chat now to hear more! Fixed wireless internet can help close the gap for telehealth in rural areas,Author: Megan Williams,With the pandemic continuing, to visit their healthcare provider in person, which helped in the U.S. A recent found nearly 1 in 4 respondents used telehealth services between April and October 2021. Meanwhile, a reported 90% of telehealth patients were satisfied with the quality of care, and 80% were likely to use it again in the future. The use of telehealth in rural areas has as a way to address some of the systemic challenges relating to delivering healthcare to hard to reach populations. According to the , adults in rural areas are:,Telehealth in rural areas can help with these challenges but needs reliable broadband internet services with enough capacity for both the healthcare facilities and the patients. The digital divide is still a challenge for businesses in rural America—a group that is to have home broadband. The found 22.3% of rural residents have only minimal broadband services (compared to 1.5% of residents in urban areas), making it difficult in many instances to provide telehealth much beyond a basic phone call. One solution, fixed wireless internet, stands out as potentially helping to close this gap in areas where it is available. What is fixed wireless?,Fixed wireless is a step toward enabling expanded use of the internet for healthcare facilities and services. This is because connects one business location (such as a clinic) to high-speed internet using radio waves between two fixed points. The point-to-point signal travels from the nearest cell phone tower directly to a business grade router at your business location, which in turn connects your devices. With services expanding (Verizon's to rural areas is now available in 189 markets in 48 states), fixed wireless is well positioned to further support the use of telemedicine and telehealth in rural areas. How can broadband and fixed wireless support telehealth in rural areas?,Rural residents are aware of the benefits of using the internet for healthcare facilities and services. According to the , 12% of rural Americans indicated they would have delayed seeking care without a telehealth option, and 14% said they would not have sought care at all. However, that same survey also found 35% of rural residents reported technical issues, such as access to reliable cable broadband, as an obstacle to making the most of telehealth services. The HHS survey found rates of video-enabled telehealth service usage were lower among historically underserved populations, with lack of broadband access and social isolation among the reasons cited in the report. Tests by found median speeds in most areas did not meet the FCC's criteria to qualify as broadband. Additionally, what internet services that were available in rural areas performed worse than similar services in urban areas. This problem is further exacerbated when considering the FCC's minimum broadband requirement has met criticism from the and for being far too low. Poor broadband capacity can have serious implications for the reduced offerings of telehealth in rural areas such as video consultations, checkups, remote patient monitoring, follow-up discussions and sometimes even reviews of lab work. It also means residents who do seek care are forced to visit locations in person—an infection and public health risk in the middle of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Limiting exposure risk has been foundational to national, state and local government responses to the public health emergency. that lack of high-quality broadband can even cut people off from access to patient portals or the online systems used to schedule vaccination appointments. Fixed wireless is proving its worth,Fixed wireless access can help improve telehealth delivery in rural areas by providing increased access to the internet for healthcare facilities and services. Native American communities are disproportionately affected by the digital divide, stunting their access to education and health. But fixed wireless has been highlighted as a potential solution in efforts like the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's work in developing the —largely thanks to its easy deployment and lower cost of implementation. The good news is that recent government legislation has covered the issue of broadband access and telehealth in rural areas. The includes a $65 billion investment in broadband with the aim to deliver reliable, affordable, high-speed internet to every household. Almost $1 billion from the 2021 supported a wide range of projects, including access to telehealth. about how Verizon is making fixed wireless and internet more economically accessible in rural areas. If you'd like to receive new articles, solutions briefs, whitepapers and more—just let us know. . * Indicates a required field. We will follow up from your contact request using the information provided. Choose your country to view contact details. Manage your account or get tools and information. These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. 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