The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is seeking public comment on its interactive map that allows users to visualize broadband and health data at the national, state, and county levels. A special focus on maternal health was added earlier this year with the Data Mapping to Save Moms’ Lives Act, directing the FCC to incorporate publicly available data on maternal mortality. The Commission hopes to get feedback from the public on ways to further expand, refine, and enhance the platform. Read more details in FCC’s Notice of Inquiry and find comment procedures on page 18. The FCC provides a recording of its hour-long webinar to explain the map platform that took place on September 27. University of Minnesota research from 2019 found that, when controlling for sociodemographic factors and clinical conditions, “rural residents had a 9 percent greater probability of severe maternal morbidity and mortality, compared with urban residents.”
Comments are due on November 20.