Bridging the Broadband Health Gap

Connectivity is a clear social determinant of health. High-speed internet access, called broadband, impacts whether people can access care via telehealth, how patients connect with providers online, whether they can use tools like remote patient monitoring, and how they manage chronic conditions. As scholars and advocates recognize the interplay between broadband and other social determinants of health—such as access to food, housing, employment or transportation—they have argued that connectivity can be viewed as a “super” social determinant of health, one that intersects with and impacts other more traditionally recognized SDOH. The use of telehealth services increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it also revealed large gaps in who could benefit from digital care, particularly in rural, low-income, and marginalized communities. These disparities underpin what many now describe as the ‘broadband health gap.’ This brief explores the ways broadband and healthcare stakeholders can work together to close the broadband health gap.