As telehealth continues to transform the healthcare industry, it offers a chance to address major challenges in health equity. From tackling social determinants of health (SDOH) barriers to tailoring care to diverse populations, virtual healthcare is becoming a powerful tool to drive more inclusive, effective care delivery.
Last month, AbleTo had the opportunity to participate in the webinar “Let’s Talk Techquity: Addressing Specialized Population Needs through Digital Health.” Alongside healthcare leaders from URAC, Texas Tech, and Children’s National, Sarah Gaffey, LCSW, AbleTo’s VP of Clinical & Coaching Service Delivery, discussed the value of health technology equity — or ‘techquity’ — across diverse populations.
Three major themes emerged from this engaging conversation: 1) ways telehealth can eliminate major barriers to access; 2) the value of customizing care delivery; and 3) the critical role of data in sustaining equitable outcomes.
Virtual healthcare resolves major access barriers.
An estimated 122 million people live in a mental health workforce shortage area. Seniors and ethnic and racial minorities are disproportionately impacted by this lack of access. With telehealth, organizations can support more equitable access to care delivery by transcending geographic boundaries and removing logistical challenges for vulnerable populations.
Webinar panelists highlighted examples of how a virtual approach has helped to eliminate access barriers, from school-based telehealth services to scalable and sustainable specialty support in remote locations. On the AbleTo side, our entirely virtual mental health care model has had an impact on improving access to quality care. As Sarah highlighted, in collaboration with our partners, we’ve been able to deliver services in over 91% of counties that are considered mental health professional shortage areas, and 84% of our enrolled participants have a first appointment in 7 days or less — far less than the national average of 48 days.
Customizing care delivery is key to creating access.
Telehealth supports care models that can move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach and more readily address factors like language barriers, cultural differences, and SDOH limitations. This is especially important in ensuring access for diverse and underserved populations.
Webinar speakers provided examples of how their own patient-centric practices have played a role in accessible, equitable care. This includes technical enhancements, like user-testing platforms for a streamlined patient experience and developing parallel ecosystems for those that don’t have a smartphone. Sarah explained AbleTo’s approach to customized care delivery: “When we think about our members or our patients that come into our care, we’re making sure we are supporting the whole person.” Our approach includes delivering cultural competency training to our providers, bridging the connection between mental and physical health, SDOH support, and more. The result has been high satisfaction, with 92% of AbleTo participants seeking culturally competent care saying their needs are met. Our clinical therapy programs also maintain a high participant NPS of +74.
A data-driven approach sustains a positive impact.
Tracking metrics helps establish not only the quality and effectiveness of care, but also facilitates improvements through a health equity lens.
Panel members shared examples of the information that is monitored and leveraged in care delivery, including resource allocation, patient outcomes, engagement, and satisfaction. Scheduling forecasts can also inform how teams staff their providers in ways that better meet patient demand. At AbleTo, our evidence-based care model enables us to iterate on program design and delivery, regularly assessing and optimizing for participant outcomes. Patient-centered metrics monitor everything from time to care to program outcomes, and inform personalized care plans that better reflect the diversity and needs of our participants.
In all, “Let’s Talk Techquity” shed light on critical components of telehealth. As its role continues to expand, it offers a more flexible, personalized approach to care delivery that ultimately supports a more equitable approach to healthcare. For more insights, be sure to watch the full webinar, linked below.
Do you work for an employer or health plan looking to deliver accessible, quality mental healthcare to your employees or plan members? Contact us at sales@ableto.com to learn how we can help.
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