Date
September 29, 2022
On September 29, 2022, NYHealth hosted a webinar with Kenan Katranji, Senior Director of Digital Health, NYC Health + Hospitals, Kenan.Katranji@nychhc.org; Christopher Joseph, Executive Director, EngageWell IPA, christopher@engagewellipa.com; and Urvashi Pandya, Director of Programs, AIRnyc, upandya@air-nyc.org. The panelists shared their experiences with implementing telehealth navigation programs in diverse health care settings and their insights on how and when telehealth can meet patient and provider needs.
New York State saw exponential increases in telehealth use during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the surge in use has tapered off as facilities reopen, telehealth is here to stay as an option for patients. Telehealth holds promise to expand access to care, yet its uneven use over the course of the pandemic has exacerbated health care disparities, rather than reducing them. People of color, people with low income, those who speak a primary language other than English, older adults, and rural residents face numerous barriers to telehealth use.
Safety-net providers across New York City have created telehealth navigation models, in which community health workers and peer-support specialists conduct outreach and assistance tailored to patients’ care plans, needs, preferences, and digital and health literacy levels. These telehealth models offer replicable strategies to support marginalized patients with complex health needs in accessing care remotely.
See AIRnyc presentation slides here.