As reported in CongressDaily, a bill designed to aid in the nationwide adoption of electronic health records, especially among small, rural health care providers, was introduced by Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chair Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.).

This bill strives to advance the use of health IT. The use of electronic record keeping greatly improves the quality of patient care by eliminating unnecessary paper documents and making it easier for health care providers to quickly share critical patient information when necessary.

However, in order for underserved communities to benefit from health IT, it is essential that they have the necessary access to broadband.  We need to bring broadband access to every American, and we need a public policy agenda designed to meet that goal.  As we look to improve healthcare, technological advances such as broadband must be a part of that conversation. 

Telemedicine programs that use broadband to deliver health care services have the potential to positively transform the quality of service currently experienced in remote areas.  Broadband networks allow health care teams to more readily share digitized patient data – including complex imaging, scans and X-rays – among doctor’s office and hospital campuses across the country. For example, if a small town hospital lacks the specialty needed to best treat the patient, the expertise of a hospital across the country is only a click away without having to transport the patient.

As we search for solutions to improve healthcare in America, let’s remember that broadband Internet access can transform healthcare for millions of Americans. 

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