At a National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services hearing on Tuesday, Jay Maxwell, CEO of Pixius Communications, said that remote home-based disease management tools and telemedicine can improve rural patients' access to quality care and reduce the country's health care burden. However, Maxwell, a telecommunications leader who specializes in broadband communication in rural areas, also said that "none of this is possible without access to a quality high-speed broadband Internet connection." Maxwell said, "While this access is common in urban and suburban areas, it is almost a luxury in rural America," adding, "Rural America is an area with a population that is aging and placing increased demands on scarce health care resources." Maxwell noted that it is largely unknown where high-speed broadband Internet service is provided. He said, "I urge HHS and all federal departments to work together to determine in greater detail who has service and who needs service. By doing this, you will pave the way toward a more effective means of delivering health care to rural America."
