Broadband connection is amust-have inallareas of life as the need for it in urbarn areasisalsp important inruralareas, and lack of access to it hinders the growth and development of rural areas.
Broadband technologies is a critical cost-saving and health care enhancing services for rural communities. Telemedicine applications rely on high speed and high quality telecommunications networks to provide rural communities with virtual access to urban health centers and their related medical specialists and services.
Currently, there are investments that are accelerating the adoption of health information technology, including a federal incentives program that will spend up to $27 billion to encourage hospitals and physicians to use electronic health records. You can read more here: https://www.cms.gov/ehrincentiveprograms/
Thanks to all of you for reading and responding to this blog post.
The FCC has had the opportunity over many years to spend up to $400 million each year to expand rural broadband connectivity and it didn’t.If you follow the GAO report, it seems that there is a management problem.I can tell you that the GAO report did note that in one instance a healthcare provider in Alaska used FCC Rural Health Care Program funds to increase the use of telemedicine, which has reduced patient wait times and travel costs.Therefore, there are examples of some success, but for the most part the FCC could have done more.
To your question of how the funds are disbursed, the program provides discounts on rural health care providers' telecommunications and information services and funds broadband infrastructure and services.
Yes, it will take a telecommunications signal of greater bandwidth compared to the standard or usual signal to achieve the kind of results that telemedicine requires.The FCC has been assigned a budget to provide this service to be used at rural hospitals and should get on with the task of expanding broadband to help rural hospitals adopt telemedicine technology.
Yes, there are many reasons why the FCC should spend more to expand broadband connectivity at rural health facilities. They do need the FCC's help.
But there are a lot of other things the government SHOULD be spending money on... but they can't due to bureaucracy, inefficiency, or budget cuts.
Reducing the amount of government spending and attempting to reduce the deficient is all well and good, but as a consequence to this sacrifices have to be made. And I think FCC funding is certainly going to get reduced or dry up completely.
In this case, it sounds like the program was not especially effective to begin with. But it is a noble idea, at least.
It seems like this is a catch 22 issue. I'm not too familiar with this plan and how the funds are supposed to be distributed. If the funds are to go to the Broadband infrastructure and allow the companies to install services to these rural areas, and then if the individual care providers don't have money to buy the equipment, we haven't solved any issues. If these funds go to both the infrastructure and individual hospitals, then we are making some headway.
Do you know why all of the budgeted money wasn't spent? Did nobody ask for more amounts, or was the FCC not dispersing more funds?
I agree with you Jacob, new equipment generation for multimedia processing could help a lot telemedicine tasks. In addition I personal think on one hand funds from FCC are important, but actions to promote education and confidential usage of electronics is important as well. I am convinced devoted educational sessions for students approaching medicine degree can stimulate better e-health spread with benefits for citizens, as consequence.
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Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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