By: Matt Dickson
The Covid-19 pandemic has fragmented traditional health care delivery and summoned the need to reconstruct the health system with an eye toward technology and how it can best solve digital health equity challenges. Many people are using a variety of virtual tools for the first time to schedule and engage with providers, ultimately redefining the patient experience and how people prefer to connect with their health care teams. With the acceleration of digital health tools such as telehealth, online scheduling and direct messaging with providers, it’s clear that population disparities are impeding the ability for disadvantaged groups to receive care, particularly for those who face language barriers, lack access to reliable internet and privacy or are unable to use digital platforms to interact with providers.
It’s imperative that everyone receives equal access to medical care, whether that’s via the telephone, in person or a telehealth appointment. Here’s what the pandemic has taught us about equitable health in the digital age.
Telehealth has played a significant role in reshaping health care and patient experience
The abrupt shift toward social restrictions and distancing regulations in response to Covid-19 has caused many to experience disrupted personal care paths. This, coupled with a rampant demand for care, due to patients delaying routine visits throughout 2020, has underscored the need for digital tools that can streamline processes, reach larger patient volumes and digitize methods to promote social distancing.
Telehealth consumer adoption increased by 35% in 2020, according to a McKinsey & Company report. This rise in telehealth has widely contributed to closing numerous gaps created by the pandemic, such as allowing patients to access and receive on-demand care without leaving their homes.
Other ways that the past year’s digital health adoption has helped to coordinate and facilitate positive patient experiences include offering platforms that deliver reminders, online scheduling, preventative care and patient education needs. Although very beneficial in a time defined by the need for digitalization, telehealth is not the all-around answer, as it still has limitations in providing equitable health care across populations.
There are inequities that remain in digital health for disadvantaged populations
Despite the benefits attributed to telehealth and online platforms, the pandemic has cast a light on barriers to access and privacy that prevent individuals from receiving the care they need. This roadblock has prompted health systems to reevaluate ways to address discrepancies in the health care landscape and establish equity in the realm of digital health. As reported by the Chartis Group and Kythera Labs, urban areas’ use of telehealth was 28% higher than rural populations, highlighting the need to identify how to best serve particular areas that may be struggling.
Providers can take action by offering low-tech, asynchronous solutions, such as phone calls or text messaging in lieu of telehealth and video calls to ensure those in disadvantaged and underserved populations without access aren’t going untreated. There are also grant programs available to address and encourage Covid-19 safety and vaccination among underserved populations, with $250 million in funding grants now available to those populations.
Multi-language offerings mitigate disparities in digital health
Language barriers have been a factor contributing to inequity and an imbalance in digital health for a long time. While many state and federal health information websites offer webpages in alternate languages, and most health systems provide medical translators to allow for proper communication, telehealth and other online technology platforms can further complicate real-time translation. With many turning to telehealth services within the past year, language barriers pose an impasse for non-English speakers, especially for those relying on telehealth for appointments.
One University of California at San Francisco primary clinic saw a steep decline in non-English speaking patient appointments when the organization switched to telehealth. Prior to the pandemic, 14% of patient visits were typically from non-English speaking patients as opposed to only 7% of patient visits when only offering telehealth options. Beyond telehealth, a doctor at the same facility found patients who spoke a language other than English as their primary language were more likely to reply to an appointment reminder to cancel the appointment out of fear of contacting Covid-19. The patients didn’t understand enough of the reminder (which was in English) to know it was for a telehealth appointment.
As more health systems rely on advanced technology such as natural language processing (NLP) and chatbots in their solutions, the language barriers can become exacerbated. To address the disparities that have further taken form since the pandemic, digital health companies should include multiple language inclusion in their technology platforms. By offering a library of languages for users to choose from, or platform recognition of the user’s primary language, barriers in digital communication are eliminated, and providers can reach individuals who were once unable to access the care they needed. Through the adoption of digital solutions that include multilanguage offerings, health systems can create significant momentum on the journey to creating equitable digital health.
Covid-19 has greatly accelerated the adoption of telehealth and has served as the catalyst toward breaking into digital health care. Now is the time to adjust digital adoption to a hybrid care model that can include an even larger portion of the population. By including a variety of communication methods that serve the many swaths of Americans, digital health equity will become the norm rather than a goal.
Source: Forbes