Earlier this year, the Federal Communications Commission hosted a Digital Health Symposium, in collaboration with a number of partners, including the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. The focus of this program was Internet Connectivity as a Social Determinant of Health. The Berks Alliance is pleased to bring some of the participants in this program to share their insights with Berks County.
So, what exactly is Internet Connectivity and how does it relate to health care? Obviously it includes having access to high speed, reliable and affordable Broadband service. But it is more than that.
It involves having access to the technology and training necessary to use the Internet.
So how does this relate to health care? Recently, there has been a lot of interest in the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes—the social determinants of health. Research has shown that these factors are much more likely to affect an individual’s or a community’s health.
There were many challenges and changes that the Covid pandemic created. School students through out Berks County moved to remote learning, which required them to have Internet access that they could effectively use. Health care delivery has been increasingly moving into telemedicine—visiting a doctor remotely, sharing medical information online and even in some cases remote surgery. Covid exacerbated these challenges. People with chronic illnesses, physical impairments, behavioral health challenges, age or language issues faced increased barriers to accessing care.
Our panel will include David Ahern (FCC); Samantha Meklei (HHS); Michael Crawford (Howard University); Rene Quadshie (Consumer Technology Association); Dr. Samruddhi Thaker (The MITRE Corporation) and Karen S. Rheuban (University of Virginia).
When: Oct 20, 2022, 11:30 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcpce2qqDIvHNyYyoMs_nCwWH0GB4vOZfzQ
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
