PatientEngagementHIT (9/15, Heath) reported, “The appointment scheduling process is proving not ideal, especially for Spanish-speaking or limited English proficiency (LEP) patients, according to data from RAND.” Published in Health Affairs, the study “showed that it’s harder for Spanish-speaking patients to get to the appointment scheduling process with front office staff in safety-net behavioral health clinics, let alone book the spot.” Rather, “Spanish-speaking patients are more likely than their White peers to be hung up on or told that nobody in the clinic could help them, posing serious barriers to treatment, the secret shopper survey showed.”
Related Links:
— “Appointment Scheduling Fixes Needed for LEP Patient Access,” Sara Heath, PatientEngagementHIT, September 15, 2023