August marks National Wellness Month, a time to emphasize the importance of prioritizing activities and choices that lead to an improved state of physical, mental and social well-being. Today, access to consumer digital health technology can play an important role in achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. However, digital health tools are not readily available to all Americans, creating opportunities for policymakers to address the digital divide and in turn, improve health outcomes across various demographics.
The Promise of Digital Tools
Digital health technology includes a wide range of tools such as mobile health apps, wearable technology, and telehealth platforms that use connectivity, software and sensors to provide efficient and affordable healthcare solutions. When used appropriately, digital health tools can support diagnosis and treatment, chronic disease management, rehabilitation and general fitness tracking. Studies indicate that roughly one in three Americans use a digital device like a smartwatch to support their health and wellness goals and more than 80% of those users are open to sharing data from their device with their doctor. This personalized data can provide a more detailed picture of one’s health over time, enabling both the patient and their healthcare provider to make better informed care decisions.
CareFirst recognizes the value of digital health technology and is committed to empowering our members to take a holistic and proactive approach to achieving their health and wellness goals. The CareFirst WellBeing℠ app provides members with wellness guidance and tracking that seamlessly integrates motivational and easy-to-use programs to improve members' health. The app offers content tailored to our members' needs and can link to other health monitoring data, devices and programs such as Noom and Fitbit. WellBeing offers a comprehensive view of wellness and includes nutrition support, fitness goals, tobacco cessation support, disease management, diabetes prevention education and more to help members stay informed of their health metrics.
If members need additional care and resources, the CloseKnit app connects CareFirst members to full patient virtual primary care services and 24/7 support across Washington, D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia.
Addressing Barriers to Digital Health
While the benefits of digital health tools are increasingly apparent, there are significant barriers to accessibility. Geographic and socio-economic factors play a role in one’s ability to use technology to monitor and manage their health. For example, the cost of internet connectivity can be prohibitive for low-income households, while disparities in infrastructure between urban and rural communities further impede access to reliable internet service. It should not matter if you live in Baltimore or the Eastern Shore in Maryland, Ward 3 or Ward 8 in Washington, D.C. or Fairfax or Arlington in Virginia. Your zip code and tax bracket should never dictate whether you have access to dependable and cost-effective internet capabilities.
To fully realize the health benefits of digital tools, it is essential to address these challenges by adopting intentional and inclusive policies, strategies, and investments in internet access and affordability. Policymakers play an important role in facilitating an environment where digital health technology can widely be adopted to support wellness and health equity, especially for the most vulnerable communities.
Government initiatives like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program allocated over $267 million to build the infrastructure necessary for broadband deployment, mapping and adoption projects across the state of Maryland. However, the cost of internet service remains too expensive for many families. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) was a federal pandemic-era fund that sought to address affordability challenges by providing $30–75 a month towards the internet bill of qualifying low-income households. In addition to the ACP, the Maryland Emergency Broadband Benefit (MEBB) provided a $15 internet subsidy to connect eligible households in Maryland. Unfortunately, funding expired for both programs this year, leaving the connectivity of 200,000 Marylanders and 23 million Americans in jeopardy.
Keeping communities connected improves health outcomes and minimizes disparities across the board. Alongside sustaining the BEAD program, policymakers should reauthorize funding for the ACP and MEBB, enabling marginalized communities the ability to afford reliable internet service and maximize the advantages of digital health technology.
CareFirst has championed promoting the integration of a healthcare system that meets the healthcare needs of communities throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia. In honor of National Wellness Month, we celebrate policies that prioritize equity and enable the benefits of digital health technology to reach every community we serve.