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The following is a summary of “Overcoming Hesitancy and Barriers to Care with Integration of Telemedicine in a Free Student-run Health Clinic,” published in the January 2025 issue of Journal of Primary Care & Community Health by Krysov et al.
Nadezhda Clinic, a student-run health clinic, offers culturally sensitive care to the underserved Russian-speaking population in Sacramento. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the clinic shifted to telemedicine, facing patient hesitancy due to technological barriers and privacy concerns.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the impact of culturally sensitive telemedicine services and outreach strategies on patient hesitancy and barriers to care.
They assessed the successful implementation of telemedicine by comparing patient demographics, clinic attendance, and distance reached between in-person and telemedicine services. Key measures included trust in the community, multilingual technological assistance, and personalized support.
The results showed telemedicine implementation increased clinic attendance, with a no-show rate of 13% compared to 20% for in-person services. Telehealth also allowed the clinic to reach patients up to 120 miles away.
Investigators achieved greater patient retention and reached patients at further distances with the culturally sensitive telemedicine protocol. Free clinics offering telemedicine were critical in addressing healthcare disparities in marginalized communities.
Source: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21501319251316338
