As the strangest summer on record gives way to the uncertain fall, I wanted to share some updates regarding areas of ongoing interest for the Urban Health Initiative.
A public-private partnership has launched a $3 million Greater Cleveland Digital Equity Fund to “strategically and efficiently address immediate and long-term needs surrounding broadband access, computing devices, digital literacy, and technology support.” In addition, the George Gund Foundation announced a $1 million grant to support digital access for Cleveland students K-12 who lack the digital tools needed for online learning. Cleveland thus joins at least 21 other cities that have initiated such programs. To see what Chicago, Columbus, Detroit, Philadelphia and others are doing, visit the National Digital Inclusion Alliance’s listing of Local Government Responses to COVID-19.

For ideas about how University researchers can leverage this incredible resource to support schools and families with meaningful adoption of digital tools for employment and education, feel free to email me or to schedule a quick call.

I believe that a comparable effort is needed by the health care sector to address digital gaps that prevent patients from using effective two-way video based telehealth. These gaps include having equipment that can handle the two-way video and telehealth software, sufficient internet upload and download speed, basic digital skills, and technical support to patients. Some possible measures to bridge these gaps include:
  • Assessing disparities in patient use of telehealth and other digital health tools including patient portals to the electronic health record and remote monitors;
  • Screening all patients for their digital gaps;
  • Referring patients to local and national organizations to close these gaps; and
  • Training patients to use digital health tools.
  • In partnership with the National Digital Inclusion Alliance, I am developing a model for engaging community health workers to assist hospitals with these “digital health navigation” tasks.

If you would like assistance from the Urban Health Initiative in these areas, you can request support through the CTSC’s new Service Catalogue, SPARCRequestIf your request is COVID-19 related, please use “COVID” as the first word in the request title.

Finally, I was pleased to be invited by the Department of Bioethics to teach a graduate seminar this fall, Bioethics 413: A Social Justice Perspective on the Digital Divide and Digital Medicine.