Those with limited English proficiency face barriers to telehealth

(HealthDay News) — For individuals with limited English proficiency, there are disparities in access to telehealth, as well as worse experiences with video visits, according to a research letter published May 9 in JAMA network opened.

Jorge A. Rodriguez, MD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and colleagues used data from 24,453 adult participants in the 2021 California Health Interview Survey to investigate differences in telehealth access and experiences between patients with limited English proficiency and patients with English proficiency. to research.

The researchers found that patients with limited English proficiency were less likely to report video or telephone telehealth use (37 versus 50%) compared to patients with English proficiency. Additionally, patients with limited English proficiency reported worse experiences with video visits (32 vs. 26%) compared to patients with English proficiency. No difference in visit experiences was observed between the two groups for telephone visits (29 versus 31%).

“These findings highlight access to telephone visits in addition to needed improvements to video visits for patients with limited English proficiency,” the authors write. “Future work can evaluate the potential of digital navigators in improving the video visiting experience.”

One author disclosed ties to Valera Health, Clew, MDClone, FeelBetter and AESOP Technology.

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