In an effort to wring out costs and improve health care for patients, the Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Communications Commission together are pushing for more hospitals, doctors and insurance companies to implement and use wireless technologies across the industry.
As Datamation reports, the two government agencies recognize that reducing duplicate tests or sharing electronic health records with specialists can go a long way toward cutting overall medical costs for both individuals and the government.
Under the agreement, each agency will establish a liaison officer who will be responsible for sharing information of mutual interest.
The joint effort on wireless health IT marks the first partnership between the two agencies, and broadly aims to pair the FCC’s technical expertise overseeing areas such as spectrum with the FDA’s focus on consumer safety.
The Federal Communications Commission and Food and Drug Administration have joined forces in an effort to promote the development and deployment of wireless technologies to improve health care and lower costs while also taking care to protect patients’ safety.
Through the partnership, the agencies aim to streamline the approval process and regulatory requirements for wireless health IT device makers, spurring innovation and investment in an emerging sector of the medical industry.
Wireless health applications offer the potential to provide remote consults with specialists from distant medical centers, delivering a level of care beyond the reach for many rural Americans.