COVID has caused many changes to healthcare. Patients' equal access to care shouldn’t be one of them.
This past year has marked a dramatic increase in virtual patient visits, which is a safe and effective way for patients to receive treatment who do not require in-person care. But are limited-English proficient (LEP) patients getting the quality care that they need when being cared for remotely?
When not considered, there are several things that can make remote care challenging for LEP patients. The first is scheduling. Online scheduling can be difficult to navigate for LEP patients. To ease this process, it is important to have forms available in patients’ native languages, and interpreters available via telephone.
The second hurdle for LEP patients is the intake process. This process requires many forms that LEP patients might not be able to fill out correctly if they are not provided in their native language, and if they have questions, it would be difficult to find answers without the help of a professional interpreter.
The appointment itself is the next obstacle between LEP patients and quality care. If there is not a medically trained interpreter present, there is a high risk for medical errors, and questions, concerns, and recommendations can be lost or remain uncommunicated or misunderstood.
Finally, follow-up appointments have an increased likelihood for patient commitment when there is a continuity of care, meaning that the same doctor and the same interpreter are present.
Virtual healthcare is becoming increasingly common, and it is important for the quality of patient care to remain the top priority. This means ensuring that LEP patients are able to schedule and attend virtual appointments with ease and understanding by providing interpretation and language services when and where they are needed.
About Globo, a Conductiv Contracts Supplier:
GLOBO, a tech-based, unified language support solution designed to eliminate inefficiencies in service of eradicating language barriers (and bad experiences). GLOBO’s full range of language services — including on-demand telephone, video, and on-site interpreting, as well as on-demand text translation — has quickly become the choice solution among enterprises, enabling communication in over 250 languages.
GLOBO is driven by a team of passionate innovators who believe the world should be a more inclusive place and is powered by integrated technology that connects people from across the world — all in service of a more empathetic future where everyone receives the quality service they deserve.
Marc Shapiro,
Strategic Account Executive
(646) 245-2310 // marc@helloglobo.com
