With COVID-19, we’ve seen an enormous increase in the implementation of telehealth and telemedicine. While shifting to a virtual environment can mean additional flexibility for healthcare providers and improved timeliness, comfort, and cost savings for patients, virtual care is not without its barriers.
Let’s explore some of the roadblocks to virtual care and how providers can manage them.
Internet access and technology issues
The most obvious barrier to virtual care is technology. To access most types of virtual care, patients must have access to reliable broadband, satellite, or 5G. This presents a challenge to patients living in rural or disadvantaged areas, as well as older patients who may not have access to devices outfitted with these technologies. Even where patients are well served by high-speed internet, they may not have access to a computer, laptop, or smartphone or may not have the know-how to navigate web apps, portals, and conferencing software.
Healthcare providers can help overcome the technology gap by providing alternatives to high-speed, high-tech care provision, such as texting patients and having them call in via phone. They can also use low-data, asynchronous communications channels such as secure email portals when video calls aren’t feasible. Home visits may be an option in some cases where technology access or uptake is very low.
Language and communication barriers
While language barriers can be overcome, in-person settings with help from receptionists, translators, handouts, and body language, language issues become more pronounced in a virtual environment. Navigating technology can be a challenge for non-native speakers or people with low literacy, and especially where specialized language is involved, such as in healthcare situations. Add glitching software and poor video or audio quality to mix, and the patient experience isn’t ideal.
Healthcare providers can address language and communication barriers by identifying patients’ preferred language early on and providing plain English or bilingual resources, handouts, and guides to navigate the technology. Where possible, a translator or bilingual staff member can be made available – or the patient can be encouraged to have a translator on-site at home. Review all communications to ensure that they are as concise and straightforward as possible. Some software programs also offer real-time closed captioning or text-based chat options: these can help clarify or reiterate what is being communicated. Depending on the situation, an in-person visit might be the best option for some patients.
Difficulties connecting with patients
Relationship building is a critical part of healthcare. Patients need to build trust and rapport with a physician before feeling comfortable sharing their medical problems or questions. With home environments offering less privacy than clinical environments, and the virtual experience lacking the intimacy of an in-person visit, patients can feel shy about candidly connecting with a physician.
To overcome privacy issues, ask patients ahead of time to provide a quiet, private space and begin each virtual visit by asking if they’re in an area where they feel comfortable talking. If noise is an issue, earphones can also help. You can also have your staff screen for sensitive issues or concerns that require a physical examination ahead of time so that you can recommend an in-person visit where appropriate.
The right kind of clinical space
As virtual care becomes more mainstream, it’s not just patients that are finding that their setup is not ideal for telehealth. Many healthcare providers have realized that their traditional setup is inefficient, overly clinical, or has poor acoustics or privacy solutions. Addressing your space can help overcome rapport, privacy, or call quality issues, improving the experience for patients and physicians alike.
At Gittleson Zuppas Medical Realty, we specialize in healthcare real estate and are well-versed in identifying clinical spaces suitable for the post-COVID context. For help finding or building out a space that meets the needs of a clinic in 2021, get in touch!