AMERICAN TELEMEDICINE ASSOCIATION RECEIVES GRANT FROM PETERSON HEALTH TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE TO ENHANCE WORK IN USING TELEHEALTH TO ADDRESS DISPARITIES
WASHINGTON, DC, SEPTEMBER 24, 2024 – The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) today announced the organization has received a grant from the Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI) to enhance its US Digital Infrastructure Disparities Score (DIS) and heat map tools with additional data sets and visualization tools, to highlight key infrastructure gaps and identify specific interventions that support actionable, measurable, and accountable deployment.
The Disparities Score and heat map tools, developed by the ATA CEO’s Advisory Group on Using Telehealth to Eliminate Healthcare Disparities and Inequities, will enable data-informed decisions and targeted allocation of resources to improve access to digital services and reduce disparities. The score is a composite measure and can be viewed at a ZIP code or county level. The premise of the map is to highlight key infrastructure gaps and support stakeholders in understanding how and where to invest scarce resources to improve access to digital services.
“Beyond the ability to just view broadband connectivity in a region, our Disparities Score and heat map tools are materially different, with composite representation of broadband access, plus connection speeds, connection modalities, and data affordability,” said Ann Mond Johnson, CEO of the ATA.
“This critical funding will be used to enhance these tools by incorporating additional data sets, developing enhanced data visualization tools, and improving the design interface and user experience.
We are grateful to the Peterson Health Technology Institute for their generous support of our work, to enable data-informed decisions pertaining to the allocation of resources to reduce disparities.”
The Disparities Advisory Group is co-chaired by Kristi Henderson, DNP, Yasmine Winkler and Ron Wyatt, MD, and facilitated by David Smith, CEO of Third Horizon Strategies.
About the Peterson Health Technology Institute
The Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI) provides independent evaluations of innovative healthcare technologies to improve health and lower costs. Through its rigorous, evidence-based research, PHTI analyzes the clinical benefits and economic impact of digital health solutions, as well as their effects on health equity, privacy, and security. These evaluations inform decisions for providers, patients, payers, and investors, accelerating the adoption of high-value technology in healthcare. PHTI was founded in 2023 by the Peterson Center on Healthcare. For more information, please visit PHTI.org.
About the ATA
As the only organization completely focused on advancing telehealth, the American Telemedicine Association is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to safe, affordable, and appropriate care when and where they need it, enabling the system to do more good for more people. The ATA represents a broad and inclusive member network of leading healthcare delivery systems, academic institutions, technology solution providers and payers, as well as partner organizations and alliances, working to advance industry adoption of telehealth, promote responsible policy, advocate for government and market normalization, and provide education and resources to help integrate virtual care into emerging value-based delivery models.
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