JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Limited English proficient (LEP) patients are at higher risk of poor health outcomes and are less likely to utilize telehealth compared to English speaking patients. There is no formal evaluation of inpatient telehealth user experience by language preference to date.

Objective:

To compare the experience of Spanish and English-speaking patients and families using our inpatient telehealth program (ITP). To evaluate the experience of Spanish interpreters using ITP.

Methods:

We prospectively administered a survey to English and Spanish speaking patients and families who used our ITP from October 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021. We performed semi-structured interviews of hospital based Spanish interpreters by phone who participated in ITP.

Results:

High satisfaction was reported by both English and Spanish speakers (SD 0.47-1.7, IQR 0-2). Both English and Spanish speaking patients participated in ITP with their primary inpatient care team, subspecialty consultants and other clinicians. Hospital tablets were used more often than personal devices, and only English speaking patients utilized a personal laptop. Patients and families encountered challenges with log-in, team coordination with multiple users and equipment availability. Interpreters encountered challenges with audio and visual quality, communication, safety, and Wi-fi access.

Conclusions:

There is high satisfaction amongst both English and Spanish speaking patients using our ITP. Use cases are multi-disciplinary and suggest lasting applicability post-pandemic, however significant investment is needed to provide robust infrastructure to support utilization by all patients, but especially integration of interpreter services for LEP patients. Clinical Trial: N/A