Opinion: A program to bring internet access to low-income people is running out of money. Health care will suffer
This past winter, one of us, Alister, was speaking with the daughter of an elderly patient at a community health center in Boston. Her mother had recently been admitted to a local hospital for pneumonia, and doctors believed that she was an ideal candidate for an innovative “home hospital” program, which leverages remote care through the use of internet-enabled devices, video conferencing, and in-person home visits so the patient can receive care in the comfort of her own home.
But the plan fell apart. Though she was medically suitable and had a caring daughter ready to assist her, she lacked something critical: She didn’t have a stable internet connection at home. Rather than returning home, she remained in the hospital.
