Health IT leaders can work to improve access to underserved populations

Most people in the healthcare industry would say that provider organizations have an obligation to provide quality care to underserved populations. The question is how.

Dr. Graham Gardner is a cardiologist and the CEO and co-founder of Kiruus, a patient scheduling and payment technology and services vendor. He has had a long career on the healthcare provider and healthcare information technology sides of the industry.

We sat down with them and discussed how to reach patients, technology Can help create care plans for disadvantaged patients and make the business case for medical groups. And Gardner offered an example from his own experience to show how access to the disadvantaged helps achieve better outcomes.

Q. You are an advocate of better patient access for underprivileged patients. Please talk about what is needed to make this happen and why it is important to provide care.

One. Much of the value of health care is defined by our ability to access it. Thus, it is best to meet the needs of underserved populations by improving patient access for all. To me, “access” doesn’t just mean being able to see a provider, but also seeing the right provider.

We know that when patients feel comfortable with their provider, they are more likely to share important information and engage with treatment recommendations. This could ultimately lead to better health care outcomes and bring underserved communities a step closer to health equity.

To find the right provider, patients first need access to the right information. That information is different for each patient and for each type of experience. For example, when patients look for a primary care provider, they are looking for someone with whom they can build a relationship – perhaps for decades.

With this in mind, they may look for someone with similar life experience and/or a provider that is conveniently located near home or work. Conversely, when seeking a specialist for a particular procedure, a patient may prefer to specialize in a certain area while traveling to the office for a one-time transaction.

Fortunately, digital health enables organizations to make this information transparent to all patients with access to a mobile phone, empowering patients to research and choose the provider that works for them at that moment.

Q. What is the role of health care information technology in care planning for underserved patients?

One. The digitization of health care data is one of the most exciting developments of the last decade. Patients now have access to provider demographics, scope of practice, photographs, personal statements, videos and patient reviews – information that provides insight into a provider’s expertise and philosophy of care.

Through digital portals and the Internet, patients can find providers whenever and however they want. This not only enables patients to conduct their research without the time pressure of calls to the access centre, but also facilitates searching for queries that may be more sensitive in nature.

For example, a person may be more comfortable seeking gender-affirming care or treatment options for a mental health condition if they can review the information online. The discretion provided by technology can mean the difference between a person seeking care or not.

Q. What is the business case for medical groups and providers? Why should they welcome better transparency and access?

One. Transparent information is fundamental to better matching patients and providers. Providers spend decades training to develop expertise in different areas of medicine, sometimes focused around a specific procedure or disease and sometimes around a specific population or demographic.

Without the right information, patients do not have the ability to find the right provider, while providers often have to re-refer patients to another peer to ensure proper patient care. Not only is this frustrating for both patient and provider, but it also disrupts the provider’s schedule, which impedes access for others.

I witnessed this situation firsthand during my years of clinical practice. As medicine becomes increasingly subspecialized, for example, patients are having a hard time understanding which type of cardiologist is best for their condition.

Without the ability to search for specific conditions and expertise, a patient with a cholesterol disorder may seek care from an electrophysiologist who specializes in heart rhythm disorders. Not only does this provide a sub-optimal experience for the patient who may now choose to leave the practice, but it also robs the provider of appointments that downstream processes could generate.

When availability is augmented with information about provider demographics and expertise, patients can leverage this data to search for providers with open schedules instead of queuing up for a “doctor.” well-known,” which can be booked for weeks or months. This can have a dramatic load-balancing effect, allowing medical groups and health systems to leverage each of their physicians in a way that benefits their member populations. Provides high quality – and timely – care for.

Q. Can you give an example from your own experience where you have seen a care facility working well for underprivileged patients?

One. Many organizations are making efforts to publish materials in multiple languages ​​to help patients for whom English is not their first language. This is an important part of providing better access. However, it’s also important to think about the flow level.

Medicine is notorious for its use of long and complicated terms—long lists of abbreviations no less. This can be confusing and intimidating for patients, highlighting health care literacy issues that may discourage people from seeking care.

Many forward-looking organizations are now leveraging word libraries that help meet patients where they are. Whether a patient types in “AF,” “A fib,” or misspelled “atrial fibrillation,” these libraries can ensure that an electrophysiologist is the recommended provider for that patient.

Similarly, if someone refers to diabetes as having “sugar blood,” their search requires an endocrinologist appropriate for their condition. This is again an area where technology can help bridge access and ensure that patients with varying levels of health care literacy are provided with the right providers to meet their needs.

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