FCC, FDA Partner Up

Philip Bunnell - Talk Radio News Service

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held a joint meeting Monday to announce “an unprecedented FCC, FDA partnership,” and the importance of wireless technology being used to improve healthcare and streamlined inter-agency communication.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said that he hopes government can work smartly with industry to “create conditions that encourage the development of cutting edge and life saving technology,” such as the human genome project. Genachowski said that bringing broadband and wireless technology to healthcare would reduce costs, help diagnose diseases faster and, ultimately, save lives.

FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg emphasized that the “benefits of wireless technology to healthcare [are] very clear.”  Hamburg was very complementary of the new FCC/FDA partnership, saying that, coupled with broadband and wireless technology, it could “shift the paradigm, and will eventually change the face of medicine forever.”

The FCC and FDA will have another joint meeting Tuesday, July 27, to further discuss life-saving wireless medical technology.

FCC Eyes National Broadband Program After Success Of Digital T.V. Transition

By Joseph Russell- Talk Radio News Service

The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) unveiled the details of the congressionally mandated national broadband program Thursday during a Commissioners meeting.

The national broadband program aims to provide every American access to broadband internet. The FCC announced that they would be launching a website, www.broadband.gov, and kicking off staff workshops to organize the presentation of their report. The completion of the program is expected to occur on February, 17 2010.

“Broadband is so important to achieving our national goals. Congress has entrusted the FCC with the responsibility of developing a strategic plan...to ensure that all people of the United States have access to broadband capability,” said Commissioner Chairman Julius Genachowski.

The recent transfer to digital television (DTV), which the commissioners hailed as a success, will in many ways serve as a template for the broadband program.

“We had a great system. Our teams worked around the clock to resolve any problems expeditiously, a key factor to success. I’d say our teams of 200 plus people really put a face and name to the FCC. . . we become an outreach organization, no longer a bureaucratic agency,” said Field Operations Captain Roger Goldblatt

Today at TRNS

Talk Radio News Washington Bureau will be covering the following events:
- Address by Education Secretary Arne Duncan on education reform and his
agency's role in President Obama's economic stimulus efforts.
-"Administration's 60-Day Review of Federal Cyber
Security Program."
-Discussion on "Toward Universal Broadband: Developing a National
Broadband Strategy."

Telemedicine to save money for health care and boost the economy

Dr. Robert Litan, author of “Vital Signs via Broadband: Remote Health Monitoring Transmits Savings, Enhances Lives,” stated that “of the thirty companies in the Dow Jones, eighteen of them were started in bare economies.” Litan used this as reason to investigate significant enhancements in health care technologies, even though we’re in a global economic downturn. Tom Ferree of Connected Nation said that forming new companies and commercializing new technologies will help economies get out of recessions, and that new ‘telemonitoring’ remote health care technologies are one way to do it.

Dr. Litan believes the United States could cut $197 billion form its health care bill over the next 25 years though ‘telemonitoring’ a new technology that transmits vital health information and video of people with chronic diseases to remote health care experts. The four main diseases this would target are congestive heart failure, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and chronic skin ulcers (or skin wounds). Dr. Litan said, “especially for seniors, this is better than going to a doctor or a nursing home. Today approximately 17% of home health health care agencies have adopted this technology.”

In order to fulfill these savings for the government, Dr. Litan stated that there must be systematic change in public policy, such as insurance reimbursement policies for doctors through Medicare and Medicaid. Dr. Litan said, “we also need policies that deliver broadband, including ‘smart networks’ that ensure that patients’ critical data is secure and that communications are not disrupted.” If this systematic change were to occur, Dr. Litan believes that “remote monitoring can spot health problems sooner, reduce hospitalization, improve life quality and save money.”

'Telemedicine' to save money through insurance company reimbursements

Dr. Robert Litan, author of “Vital Signs via Broadband: Remote Health Monitoring Transmits Savings, Enhances Lives” explains what needs to be done to allow 'telemedicine' to save the government billions of dollars. (0:57)