Have you ever wondered if real-time medical care enhances patient outcomes for everyone in general, or is it especially beneficial in specific cases? The answer is yes for both. It offers many benefits to patients, caregivers, and providers, which help in improving patient outcomes. Learn in detail about how real-time medical care enhances patient outcomes through specialized care for specific vulnerable demographics in this article. Talk to our experts to know more.
Real-Time Medical Care Considerations for Specific Populations
Some considerations for various population groups to get the right medical care may include:
People with disabilities:
Giving access to telehealth and telecommunications to people with disabilities is crucial because it may help them communicate with providers who can provide aid to them when needed. Providers should discuss what aid or services are right with the person making the request. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act protects qualified individuals with disabilities from discrimination based on disability in the provision of benefits and services.
Here are some examples of aids and services your patient may need, including:
- Blind/vision-loss/deaf-blind patients: You can give them a qualified reader; information in large print, Braille, or electronically use a computer screen-reading program; or an audio recording of printed information.
- For deaf/hearing-loss/deaf-blind patients: You can give them a qualified notetaker, a qualified sign language interpreter, an oral interpreter, a cued-speech interpreter, a tactile interpreter, real-time captioning, written materials, or a printed script of a stock speech.
- For patients with speech disabilities: You can provide them a qualified speech translator or suggest using paper/pen to write out words; staff should listen attentively and not be afraid to ask the patient to repeat a word or phrase they don’t get the first time.
Non-English-speaking patients:
Providers need to be aware of the unique challenges that non-English speakers face when using telehealth. It may include:
- They are less likely to use portals than English speakers due to a combination of technology and language barriers. Consider if and when a portal is needed for these patients, or if they need to connect in other ways.
- For effective communication with non-English speakers, make sure you have a medical interpreter available during a call or video. These interpreters are specially trained in medical terminology, patient privacy, and cultural awareness.
- Remote interpreting companies can contract medical interpreters to give direct access to a portal, so that you can join the virtual room at the same time as the patient. Alternative ways to bring an interpreter are:
- Securely send the virtual room link to the interpreter.
- Keeping the provider and patient on video, while the interpreter is on speaker phone.
- Holding a 3-way telephone call with the provider, patient, and interpreter (without video).
Telehealth for rural populations:
It is very crucial for rural and other remote areas to have access to sufficient health care services, including specialty care. However, rural communities face specific barriers to implementing telehealth, especially with limited access to high-speed internet and smartphones. Expanded broadband access is needed to lower health disparities for rural patients who can benefit from telehealth.
Additionally, telehealth can successfully alleviate the lack of behavioral health services in many rural communities. Using telehealth services can help with the following behavioral health services:
- Evaluation and diagnosis
- Case consultation
- Treatment
- Medication management
- Continuity care
- Provide education
Telehealth for behavioral health:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people experienced stress due to the isolation and the health distress caused by the pandemic. Fortunately, telehealth can help many behavioral health providers to sustain and even expand their services, which has proven beneficial for patients and providers in many ways, including:
- Improving accessibility to mental health treatment.
- Lower cancelled appointments and no-shows.
- Supporting patients who have difficulty with the daily tasks required for in-person visits.
- Helping patients avoid some of the stigma related to treatment.
- Assisting low-income patients in going anywhere to attend an appointment.
However, in some cases, some special consideration is needed to provide teletherapy:
- Some patients who don’t have a safe space for their appointment.
- Physical presence serves a huge part of the therapeutic relationship.
- It’s harder to read social and physical cues on a screen.
Real-time medical care enhances patient outcomes for everyone because it offers many benefits mentioned above. However, several challenges need to be overcome for Real-time medical care to become the best medical care option to overcome many barriers for people.
Need help to get real-time medical care? Visit ROADL Care facility in Brooklyn to get professional medical help. Call us to book your appointment now!!!!! At ROADL, we are committed to fostering strong partnerships and collaborations that drive innovation and improve the healthcare experience for all. By working together, we can revolutionize the way care is delivered, making it more accessible, efficient, and effective for everyone involved. Speak with our experts at +1 (833) 762-3555 to know more about our services. Or you can walk in at 1797 Pitkin Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11212, or write us an e-mail at roc@roadlcare.com.