304180
Reducing Disparities and Language Costs by Using Remote Video Interpreting
Overcoming language barriers to accessing healthcare is critical for the well-being of millions of residents in the United States. Providing in-person interpreters to all patients who need them is prohibitively expesive for most health care centers. Sutter Health developed a home-grown, electronic medical record (EMR)-related, remote video interpreting (RVI) system that allows their in-house medical interpreters to be used more effectively and efficiently, improving access to services while reducing costs.
The cost minimization analysis between baseline (2011) and post-intervention (2013) showed that RVI decreased the costs of interpreter services at the medical center per encounter, from $72.10 to $59.60 in a system that has over 40,000 hours of use yearly. Results are statistically significantly different, with a two-tailed t-test, p-value <0.0001>.
Findings also show that RVI is a more economical method of interpreter services, $66.1 per appointment compared to other non- RVI modalities $72.6 per appointment. Results are statistically significantly different, with two-tailed t-test, p-value = <0.0048. In addition, the cost per encounter for the comparison site in 2013 with all modalities combined was $55.6 compared to $ $61.7 at the four intervention sites combined. Results are statistically significantly different, with two-tailed t-test, p-value = <0.0147.
RVI also demonstrated significance in provider and patient satisfaction pre and post intervention. RVI has the potential to expand services to LEP patients anywhere in the nation, and is not vendor-dependent. Any health system using an EMR can implement their own system.
Learning Areas:
Communication and informaticsDiversity and culture
Learning Objectives:
Describe Sutter Health-designed Remote Video Interpreting system (RVI) embedded into electronic healthcare record (EHR).
Demonstrate cost effectiveness of RVI compared to phone service, in-person interpreting, and vendor video platform.
Identify key aspects of RVI to guarantee success.
Demonstrate key findings in 3-year pilot project at large hospital in San Francisco, CA.
Discuss results of study and next steps for dissemination.
Keyword(s): Cultural Competency, Access Immigration
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the principal investigator on this grant project for the last three years.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.