Central Michigan University is participating in a program collecting data about the speed and quality of internet in rural areas.
The Telehealth Broadband Pilot program, a project through CMU’s Rural Health Equity Institute, is looking for volunteers from Gladwin, Manistee, Missaukee, Montmorency, Osceola, and Oscoda counties.
The switch to telehealth appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic raised the question of whether rural communities receive adequate access to necessary broadband internet.
John Jervinsky, manager of telehealth programs for CMU’s College of Medicine, said the study will identify gaps in broadband coverage and determine if consumers are getting the services that they need.
“Even if you’re able to afford it, whether or not you have access to it is a whole other question,” Jervinsky said.
Jervinsky described the program as unique because individuals will have access to their data.
“This information will not only be helpful to us as we try to figure out where the gaps in accessibility are, but it can be helpful to the participant as well, because we're allowing them to have access to that data where they can see how often those tests are run and what the results of those tests are,” Jervinsky said.
The program will focus on collecting data from healthcare facilities and institutions where the public can access the internet but is open to individual consumers as well.
“Originally, the scope of the effort was to focus on healthcare clinics. And that scope quickly expanded. When the pandemic occurred, it was quickly realized that sometimes people were doing these telehealth appointments from local school districts or the library,” Jervinsky said.
Participants will be given a small device called a “pod” which requires a 110-volt power source and an active network jack to work. Once it’s plugged in, the pod will begin collecting data about the quality and speed of the volunteer’s internet connection.
Jervinsky said the program will collect at least three months' worth of data, but participants can keep and continue to use the pods after the program is completed.
The program is a collaborative effort between CMU, Texas Tech University, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, West Virginia Primary Care Association, and the University of Arkansas.
According to the Health Resources and Services Administration website, HERSA awarded the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium a $6,500,000 grant for the project. The program website states CMU is one of three sub-awardees supporting the grant.
Jervinsky encourages anyone interested in participating in the Telehealth Broadband Pilot Program to reach out to tbpp@cmich.edu.
