The reality of healthcare has been an unequal playing field for many years, with certain populations being left behind without access to proper care. Telehealth has emerged as a game-changer that can shift the tide of inequity, allowing for secure videoconferencing and other modern solutions to address the social determinants of health (SDOH). In this blog post, we will discuss how telehealth technology is driving real change in healthcare equity.
What Are the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)?
Many social factors can greatly impact a person’s overall health and wellbeing. These are known as Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), and include things like housing instability, food insecurity, and lack of transportation.
Research shows that up to 80% – 90% of a person’s health is tied to their physical environment, economic stability, education, and access to nutritious food. SDOH can be grouped into six categories: socioeconomic status, education, physical environment, employment, and social support networks.
While healthcare is important, it only accounts for 10-20% of a person’s health. To truly help disenfranchised patients, it’s essential to consider the wider context of their lives and the barriers they may face. With telehealth, this is now becoming more feasible.
How Can Telehealth Help Reduce Healthcare Inequity?
In certain parts of the United States, it is common for individuals to drive for long distances to receive proper health care. However, not everyone has the means to travel to a doctor’s office in person. This disproportionately affects those who lack transportation or proper support systems. Individuals dealing with serious illnesses or multiple conditions face further challenges, as they may have to visit multiple healthcare providers and require multiple prescriptions with different refill times and doses.
To mitigate these issues, continuing individualized care is often rendered via telehealth with a focus on symptom management and patient progress monitoring. The advent of telehealth has been transformative for the healthcare sphere in this respect, providing an unprecedented level of flexibility in terms of serving a wider part of the population. Patients attending virtual calls can now receive prescriptions for pain management and other ailments, resulting in improved care quality and health outcomes.
In terms of accessibility, telehealth addresses further disparities in the form of access to high-speed internet, technological skill, and other limitations like language barriers. The best telehealth platform will contain video engine fallback capabilities to reduce the chance of lost connectivity during a session, a user-friendly video engine, and language interpretation capabilities within the platform for non-english speaking participants.
Overall, telehealth has proven to be an essential solution in reducing healthcare inequity. This innovation significantly reduces healthcare disparities, ensuring that all individuals have access to high-quality care regardless of the circumstances.
How Telehealth Platforms like SecureVideo Help Mitigate the Risks of SDOH
Telehealth platforms have proven to be essential in mitigating the risks of social determinants of health (SDOH). Among the various platforms available, SecureVideo stands out as a user-friendly option that not only allows ease of use but also provides features that cater to patients’ needs. Here are some of the ways SecureVideo helps overcome SDOH-related challenges:
One Click & Zoom Video Integration
Our One-Click video engine is excellent for patients with low technological literacy, allowing them to start their session with just one click while our Zoom integration offers step-by-step guidance for a smooth installation process.
Language Interpretation Services
SecureVideo’s platform also offers integration with Voyce, which provides medical language interpreters for more than 200 languages and dialects, including American Sign Language (ASL), connecting non-english speaking patients within minutes.
Seamless Connectivity Complete with Video Engine Fallback
Including a reliable and stable video engine fallback feature, users can receive seamless care over the internet. SecureVideo goes above and beyond to offer patients the best telehealth experience possible.
SecureVideo: Bridging the Gap Between SDOH & Quality Healthcare
Telehealth has proven to be essential in addressing the issue of healthcare equity, and SecureVideo is leading the charge with its range of features that promote patient-centered care. With our easy One-Click video engine, language interpretation services, and reliable support, SecureVideo offers an optimal solution for bridging the gap between SDOH and quality healthcare.
Contact SecureVideo to learn more about how our platform can help reduce healthcare disparities and make quality care accessible to all.