Broadband & Telehealth in North Carolina's Appalachian Coal-Impacted Communities

The Broadband Infrastructure Office and the NC Department of Health and Human Services Office of Rural Health conducted a feasibility study that examined the broadband, health care and telehealth assets – including the health disparities and broadband gaps as well as opportunities – for the 20 counties in North Carolina’s Appalachian region that are most affected by the coal industry. The study confirmed that:

  • A disproportionate number of individuals in the study area live without access to basic health care services and access to specialists, such as cardiologists, because of distance and limited provider availability.
  • Health care access is improved in areas where broadband and telehealth services exist.
  • Patients are more aware of their conditions and equipped with self-management techniques to seek medical care when concerns arise.

Broadband & Telehealth in N.C.'s Appalachian Coal-Impacted Communities What a Lack of Broadband and Telehealth is Doing to Western North Carolina (Institute for Local Self-Reliance)