FCC Connect2Health Task Force Talks Digital Inclusion in Detroit

Commissioner Mignon Clyburn and members of the FCC Connect2Health Task Force told the Beyond the Beltway series event in Detroit Wednesday of the value connected health services can have for individuals and communities. Clyburn and members of a panel cited challenges faced by many communities of a lack of digital inclusion, as well as the need for more investment in connecting individuals to the Internet. "Let's face the facts ... there are a lot of challenges to our communities in terms of opportunities," Clyburn said. "Just about every investment" in broadband expansion and various connected services, including connected health platforms, is going to pay some dividends, she said. Chris Gibbons, Connect2Health Task Force scholar in residence, said people are relying on more than just doctors and nurses to get well and stay healthy. Individuals value what doctors and healthcare providers have to say, but often they can't get to them, Gibbons said, saying the future of healthcare is going to look very different from how it does now. Gibbons also said the U.S. is making "no systematic improvement[s]" in all recognized disparities being measured over a 10-year period, and that environments are powerful determinants of opportunities in healthcare. Clyburn and FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler met with local leaders yesterday in Detroit (see 1510270062).