Idaho is working to improve its broadband access and uptake through an initiative called LinkIDAHO. Broadband helps health care providers better manage patient care through secure use and sharing of health information. Broadband is particularly important to health care in rural communities where they have less access to health care specialists.
LinkIDAHO
is working with the State of Idaho Office of the CIO to administer a
statewide broadband mapping and planning grant from the National
Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA).
A main goal of the grant is to identify broadband availability, needs and opportunities through mapping and planning activities which include:
·
An assessment of the current availability, adoption and use of broadband communications infrastructure throughout the state.
·
The development of specific strategies to fill current gaps in broadband access.
·
The development of plans to expand the adoption of deployed broadband.
A
broadband demand survey was just released to gather information about
the broadband needs in communities and for health care providers. Health
care providers can let their broadband needs be
known through filling out the survey at http://www.idahodashboard.org/healthdemandintro.
The
data from the Broadband Demand Survey will be used to create a demand
map that will show areas of need, areas being served and demonstrate
strategic areas of investment. Project staff has
already gathered a substantial amount of mapping and planning data to
support this work, which can be found at
www.linkidaho.org.
A
module designed to educate stakeholders about the benefits of health
information technology has also been developed and is available at
http://www.idahodashboard.org/node/376.
Idaho Rural Partnership (IRP) is leading planning activities in the state. For more information about LinkIDAHO visit
www.linkidaho.org
or contact Mike Field, LinkIDAHO Statewide Broadband Coordinator at
Mike.Field@irp.idaho.gov or 208-332-8699.
No comments:
Post a Comment