FCC Telehealth Barriers Report: Almost Half of US Counties Face “Double Burden”

Almost half of US counties face a “double burden” of chronic disease and a need for greater broadband connectivity, according to a new report filed with the Federal Communications Commission. The report comes from an advisory committee that was set up to identify barriers to telehealth and recommend solutions. The majority of “double burden” areas fall into what the report calls “clusters” of five or more counties with total populations exceeding 100,000. An “overall shortfall” in access to adequate broadband in rural areas limits the ability to deploy telehealth, the report notes, but the authors add that “people-based” issues are some of the most significant challenges related to the adoption of telehealth. “The process of elected officials developing appropriate regulatory guidance and legislation and licensing criterion for providers is complex and is complicated more by advocacy positions than by generally held policy principles,” the authors observe.