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New York City Health & Hospitals Corporation; AIRnyc; Northern Manhattan Perinatal Partnership; EngageWell IPA

Advancing Equitable Telehealth Patient Navigation

In 2021 and 2022, NYHealth awarded New York City Health & Hospitals Corporation, AIRnyc, Northern Manhattan Perinatal Partnership, and EngageWell IPA grants to to assist patients in navigating telehealth.

Empowering Health Care Consumers

Grantee Name

New York City Health & Hospitals Corporation; AIRnyc; Northern Manhattan Perinatal Partnership; EngageWell IPA

Funding Area

Empowering Health Care Consumers

Publication Date

August 2024

Grant Amount

$250,000 New York City Health & Hospitals Corporation; $250,000 AIRnyc; $210,000 Northern Manhattan Perinatal Partnership; $200,000 EngageWell IPA

Grant Date:

2021–2022

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, New York State experienced a dramatic 130-fold increase in telehealth usage.

While telehealth use has decreased since then, it remains a crucial option for care, particularly in areas with provider shortages, such as behavioral health. Research shows the benefits of telehealth include lower no-show rates, increased patient satisfaction, and improved outcomes in select clinical areas. Surveys suggest a sustained willingness among consumers and providers to use telehealth.

However, the uneven use of telehealth during the pandemic has worsened, rather than alleviated, disparities in health care access. People of color, low-income individuals, those who speak a primary language other than English, older adults, and rural residents face barriers to telehealth, including the digital divide (lack of technology and internet access), unfamiliarity with digital tools, and privacy and trust concerns.

NYHealth’s Consumer Empowerment priority area aimed to place patients at the center of their health care. During the pandemic, this increasingly meant virtual care, and NYHealth supported several projects to assist patients in navigating telehealth.

Read about the grant outcomes, lessons learned, and recommendations for the future.

Outcomes and Lessons Learned

New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (H+H)

  • Conducted outreach to nearly 130 patients for telehealth support, predominantly video visits.
  • Followed up with more than 90 patients who missed appointments to understand barriers.
  • Conducted a secret shopper initiative to compare telehealth and in-person patient experiences across four sites.
  • Created patient reminders and educational displays in 13 languages.

AIRnyc

  • Piloted a telehealth program with Sun River Health (SRH) at two Bronx sites.
  • Assisted 214 patients with telehealth access, scheduling, and care coordination.
  • 79% of enrolled patients attended appointments within 90 days of initial outreach.

Northern Manhattan Perinatal Partnership (NMPP)

  • Partnered with NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) to develop telehealth perinatal care services.
  • Integrated CHWs into NYP’s workflows to support 30 patients with telehealth access.
  • Developed a best practice manual for telehealth navigation.

EngageWell Independent Practice Association

  • Implemented “Care Your Way” hybrid telehealth program across 36 sites.
  • Engaged 5,600 patients in telehealth, with 225 receiving direct navigation support.
  • Achieved 85% medication adherence and distributed 7,700 healthy food boxes.
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