At a Glance:

• Health equity involves addressing disparities in healthcare access, and effective patient communication is crucial for bridging knowledge, language, and cultural gaps.

• Health inequities have far-reaching implications, causing poorer health outcomes and unnecessary spending.

• Effective patient communication, facilitated by digital platforms, can reduce health disparities, while also considering social determinants of health, cultural competence, and diverse patient preferences in building trust and advancing health equity.

Understanding Health Equity and the Role of Communication

In an ideal world, every individual would have equal access to quality healthcare, regardless of their socio-economic status, race, or background. Unfortunately, this is not the reality we live in.

But health equity goes beyond merely providing equal access to healthcare; it’s about addressing the underlying disparities that affect people’s health and well-being. This involves dismantling barriers and eliminating systemic injustices that contribute to healthcare disparities. 

While policies and resources play a crucial role in achieving health equity, providing effective patient communication is equally vital. This not only encompasses clear and empathetic patient-provider conversations but also extends to all healthcare interactions – from educational materials and public health campaigns to community outreach initiatives.

By understanding the nuances of patient communication, healthcare professionals can bridge gaps in knowledge, language barriers, cultural differences, and other factors that contribute to health inequities. Effective communication ensures that patients are empowered with accurate information about their conditions, treatment options, preventive measures, and resources available to them. To communicate effectively, providers should consider developing a health equity plan in conjunction with a robust patient communication strategy to make significant strides in the path to health equity. 

The Impact of Health Inequities on Patient Outcomes and Access to Care

Before we dive into the power of effective patient communication, let’s take the time to acknowledge the effect health inequities have on our patient populations and the healthcare ecosystem at large. 

A pressing issue within our healthcare system, health inequities have profound implications to patient outcomes, access to care, the economy and much more. The consequences are far-reaching, leading to poorer health outcomes for vulnerable populations and exacerbating existing disparities in access to quality care. In fact, they push 100 million people into poverty each year – preventing at least half of the world’s population from getting the care they need. Additionally, health inequities take a huge hit to the U.S. healthcare system, costing the U.S. billions of dollars each year and raising the cost of healthcare for everyone. 

According to the Deloitte Health Equity Institute report, health inequities account for roughly $42 billion in lost productivity annually and add about $15.6 billion in unnecessary spending associated with diabetes and $2.4 billion in treating asthma. These costs are the result of delayed care, access barriers, missed diagnoses and limited access to preventive services and scientific advances.

It’s crucial that we address these issues head-on to not only build a more equitable healthcare system where every individual has the opportunity to achieve optimal health regardless of their socioeconomic background or demographic characteristics but also to reduce unnecessary spending. 

The Power of Effective Patient Communication in Reducing Health Disparities

Harnessing the immense power of effective patient communication is undoubtedly a game-changer when it comes to reducing health disparities. The impact of clear and meaningful dialogue between healthcare providers and patients cannot be overstated. It holds the key to bridging the gap between different socio-economic backgrounds, cultural diversities, and language barriers that often contribute to unequal access to healthcare services. By employing empathetic language, active listening, and fostering a safe space for open discussion, healthcare professionals can empower their patients with knowledge, trust, and confidence.

In order to deliver this type of dialogue, providers should look to digital patient communication platforms. With a variety of features and functionalities, these can enable providers to address care gaps by actively reaching out to potential new patients in the community, ensuring existing patients maintain their appointments and encouraging patients to get back into the care setting.  When utilized efficiently, patient communication platforms can simplify the retrieval of medical records, disseminate educational materials, and encourage patients to schedule preventive screenings, wellness check-ups, or regular visits.

How One Customer Used Artera to Reach New Patients: When Community Health Centers of the Central Coast found Artera, they decided to tap into the platform largely as a campaign outreach tool (Community Outreach Model) to recruit and retain Medicaid patients by pushing out text messages. Outside of the initial “welcome” message to patients, messages cover everything from annual check-ups to dental exams, cancer screenings, and more. Using this

outreach approach to new patients – or those who haven’t been seen in 12 months – has led to tremendous success at CHC. In just one year (June 2022 – June 2023), they had a recruitment rate of 30 percent, meaning 30 percent of patients who were reached out to made – and kept – an appointment. CHC ultimately scheduled ~20,000 appointments for recruited Medicaid patients within the last year, bringing new patients into the care setting. 

Addressing Social Determinants of Health through Patient Outreach

Frequently, individuals in vulnerable circumstances find themselves slipping through the gaps in the healthcare system. Thankfully, healthcare leaders today are increasingly thinking about their patients beyond the confines of in-person care settings by addressing social determinants of health – or the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age that shape health. This is precisely where technology – and a health equity plan – can step in to offer valuable assistance.

By using technology, such as a patient communication platform, providers can learn more about the communities in which they serve. Therefore, they can adapt the technology to allow greater opportunities for patients to connect in the way that works best for them – based on their environment. For example, patients in underserved communities may frequently work full-time, so it’s essential they have more convenient methods of communication with their provider, such as conversational messaging. This allows patients to reach out on their own time and enables an open line of communication where patients can ask questions, receive advice, or seek care as a first line of defense instead of going to the ER.

When providers can adapt their strategies more to account for various patient population groups, environments, and circumstances, they can provide a more inclusive approach to communication, thus helping to advance health equity. 

How One Customer Leveraged Artera to Eliminate Barriers to Care: One Children’s Hospital in the Midwest leveraged Artera’s Conversation Builder, ChatAssist AI, to engage with patients who did not show up for their appointment to better understand the “why.” Using Artera Analytics Plus, they quickly quantified and analyzed the responses patients provided, which led them to a surprising insight: many patients were not showing up for their appointments for two reasons 1) they did not have transportation to the appointment or 2) they did not own a coat – a significant deterrent given the severe weather this region experienced during the winter months. 

The children’s hospital then identified the patients and reached out to coordinate transportation and provide winter coats to these patients. This drove meaningful interactions with their patient population, removed barriers to care and reduced no-shows at their facilities. 

Breaking Down Barriers: Overcoming Language and Cultural Differences 

When thinking through a patient communication strategy and a health equity plan, it must be critical for providers to recognize the unique needs of different populations, ensuring culturally competent care. While this involves training healthcare providers to understand and respect cultural differences, it also means taking advantage of the many features a patient communication platform offers that hone in on diversity and distinct patient information. 

For example, Artera offers 109+ languages which enables providers to engage their diverse patient population in their preferred language. This means more patients can be reached

With Preferred Name, another recent Artera enhancement, patients can be communicated with by their Preferred Name. Whether it’s a cultural factor or personal change, there are many reasons patients may go by a different name than the one on their birth certificate. By enabling this through patient communication, it helps to support organizations in remaining sensitive to patient preferences while fostering meaningful connections with patients – helping them to build trust with the healthcare system.

Championing Patient Communication to Advance Health Equity

Promoting and advancing health equity is top-of-mind for all healthcare leaders – ranking in the top five list of priorities for health executives. That being said, only 18 percent say they have a well-defined strategy to support their efforts. In order to make significant strides in achieving health equity, we must ensure we’re taking similar steps as we would to target any greater business issue. 

This involves crafting comprehensive health equity plans – in association with effective patient communication strategies – that address access to care, social determinants of health, cultural competence, community engagement, and data-driven strategies. These should include goals, metrics, and milestones. To see meaningful results and stay on course, providers should measure health equity through tools like the health equity index and health equity metrics. 

Above all, there exists opportunities to align health equity plans and comprehensive patient communication strategies. Providers today should take advantage of the technology they have to make healthcare equitable for all.

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We hear the term often, but what does it truly mean? According to the CDC, health equity is achieved when “every person has the opportunity to attain his or her full health potential and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances.” 

Efforts to achieve and advance health equity and improve access to quality care have increased dramatically as COVID-19 brought to light the longstanding racial and economic disparities that exist within our nation’s healthcare system. According to 2022 Accenture and HIMMS Market Insights research, nine out of ten healthcare executives now view health equity as a top business priority. 

How to advance health equity

One way to advance health equity is to eliminate health disparities and increase access to care for vulnerable, underserved populations. Community Health Centers and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), which are core sources of primary care in the U.S., are largely leading these efforts. One driving force behind their work? Patient communication.

Health centers are a vital network of care

Since 1965, federally supported health centers have been providing an affordable care option to more than 29 million – or 1 in every 12 – people in the U.S. By reducing barriers such as cost, lack of insurance, distance, and language for their patients, health centers help increase access to timely primary care. 

Located in high-need areas, health centers serve those facing the greatest difficulty accessing or affording essential health care services, such as low-income or homeless patients, agricultural workers, veterans, Medicaid beneficiaries, and minority patients. Regardless of insurance status or ability to pay, patients can access a comprehensive set of care services, including medical care, behavioral health, vision, dental, and case management, among others, depending on the needs of the community. 

In addition to providing high-quality care, health centers help to eliminate emergency room visits or inpatient stays and provide substantial cost benefits, generating over $24 billion in savings for the health care system annually.

A trusted source in uncertain times

Beyond providing access to high-quality care and enabling cost savings, health centers act as trusted sources in historically underserved communities. 

In particular, over the course of the pandemic, people turned to health centers to learn about the facts at a time when misinformation clouded the entire healthcare landscape. 

Amid efforts to overcome vaccine hesitancy and expand access to care, community health workers took on a new level of importance as trusted messengers, especially among people of color. Through their efforts, health centers have administered over 19 million doses of the vaccine to date, of which more than 60 percent were administered to racial-ethnic minorities. Of these vaccinations, FQHCs used WELL Health® to facilitate 1.8 million vaccine appointments.1

Based on a joint analysis from the National Association of Community Health Care and the Morehouse School of Medicine’s National COVID-19 Resiliency Network (NCRN), researchers found that areas with community health centers experience fewer COVID-19 deaths and infections, thus leading to improved outcomes. 

Even beyond the pandemic, it’s clear health centers and their workers play a critical role in advancing health equity and improving patient outcomes. Their footprint will only continue to grow over time – so much as 11% by 2030, according to a National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. 

In order to expand their impact, health centers can leverage technology, specifically digital patient communications, to reach even more vulnerable patient populations.

Using patient communication to close gaps in care and advance health equity

All too often, vulnerable patients fall through the healthcare cracks. At a time in which social determinants of health are a major focus across the industry, however, leaders are now prioritizing the health of their patients beyond the four walls of a hospital. This is where technology can help.

With the use of digital patient communications, health centers can help bridge gaps in care, proactively recruiting new patients in the community or ensuring existing patients attend their appointments through automated messages. When properly and effectively implemented, patient communication platforms can also help streamline access to medical records, deliver educational information, and get patients back into care for preventive screenings, wellness exams, or routine visits. 

Since many patients in underserved communities may be working full time, it’s essential they have more convenient methods of communication with their provider, such as conversational messaging. This not only allows them to reach out on their own time, but also enables a true open line of communication in which patients can ask questions, receive advice, or seek care as a first line of defense instead of going to the ER. 

Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center (TVHC), an Artera customer, is one community health center that proactively texts its patients to pre-schedule follow-up care. Caleb Sandford, Chief Transformation Officer at TVHC, comments on this approach in the Health Pilots podcast: 

“By doing these appointment recalls and ensuring patients come back for their follow-up care, we’re not just providing one-time urgent care anymore, we’re providing longitudinal care.” 

Their goal is to get everybody onto a care plan and make sure they stick to it to eliminate urgent care or emergency visits. “When patients are delayed in their primary care, that’s when healthcare starts to deteriorate,” Sandford says.  

Multilingual patient communication is essential

It’s also important to note the diversity that exists in these communities. As English may not be a patient’s first language, multilingual support is vital for reaching more of the population, thus helping to overcome a potential language barrier that may impede access to care. Being able to reach patients by text in the language they prefer, without the need for a smartphone or app to download, reduces disparities in care access. 

Overall, leveraging digital communication platforms that are easily accessible for diverse populations will help health centers close gaps in care, improve outcomes, and reduce readmissions. 

Ankoor Shah, Management Consulting Principal Director and Health Equity Lead at Accenture, reiterated this in the 2022 Accenture and HIMMS Market Insights research: “Technology, in concert with community partnerships, should be leveraged to catalyze health equity agendas in order to reduce disparities in care access, experience, and ultimately outcomes.”

Artera is committed to working with health centers to advance health equity and improve outcomes

Since its inception, Artera has helped over 130 community health centers and FQHCs engage vulnerable patient populations in their care through secure patient communications. 

In recent news, Artera announced a partnership with OSIS, a non-profit technology services organization providing NextGen Healthcare technology assistance to community health centers. The partnership offers OSIS Members – community health centers and FQHCs – preferred access to Artera’s digital patient communications platform through the OSIS Partner Program. 

Artera addresses the unique needs of community health centers and their patient populations thanks to its suite of flexible offerings, including:

Accessible Digital Patient Engagement 

Artera delivers a simple SMS/texting solution that does not require an app download, internet access or even a password.

Multilingual Patient Communications 

Artera offers 100+ languages enabling providers to engage their diverse patient population in their preferred language.

Call-To-Text Functionality

Providers can easily move important health conversations to text which enables patients to engage with healthcare providers via text at their convenience.

As community health centers continue to expand their instrumental role in providing equitable care across the nation, Artera will be here to support and celebrate the incredible work these health centers do every day for underserved populations.

1Data set from 12/9/2020 to 4/4/2022, pulled by Artera Data Insights.

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Unfortunately, reports indicate that up to 90 percent of healthcare consumers have low health literacy. This should be a cause of great concern. Low health literacy levels can make it hard for patients to plan their appointment schedules, monitor medication, and manage chronic diseases, and more.

When providers are asking themselves how to improve health literacy, one powerful answer is: communication. By leveraging cutting-edge healthcare technology to optimize patient health literacy and communication, providers can rapidly boost low health literacy.

A closer look at the meaning of healthcare literacy

To improve it, you need to understand it. According to the Institute of Medicine of National Academies, one can define health literacy as “the degree to which people can obtain, process, comprehend, and communicate basic health information and services needed so that they can make suitable decisions about their health.”

More recently, as part of the government initiative Healthy People 2030, two updated definitions relating to health literacy have been added:

a. Organizational health literacy: The degree to which healthcare providers enable healthcare consumers to access, understand, and use information and services to inform decisions related to their health and that of others.

b. Personal health literacy: The degree to which healthcare consumers can access, understand, and use information and services to inform decisions related to their health and that of others.

In other words, understanding healthcare information is not, on its own, the answer to how to improve health literacy. What is also required is enabling healthcare consumers to use such information, so that they can make well informed decisions.

How to improve health literacy with communication tools

According to the Pew Research Center, more than 81 percent of Americans own smartphones, and over 90 percent use the internet. Another report states over 71 percent of adults have used the internet to search for health-related information. Meanwhile, over 21 percent have used some sort of technology to track their health information.

Faced with this technology reality, providers that want to improve the literacy of their patients need to embrace tools that let them meet patients on their own terms. The modern patient wants to text, not phone. They want to do things digitally, not manually.

Indeed, forward-thinking providers are now moving from ordinary health literacy to “digital health literacy.” Digital health literacy, otherwise referred to as electronic health (eHealth), refers to the ability for healthcare consumers to access, find, and use health information from digital technologies and apply the obtained knowledge to prevent, address, and solve health issues.

This is where modern communication technologies come in. They have the capability to provide unified communications for health systems by integrating with providers’ EHR and patient-facing vendors.

Understanding the digital health ecosystem is vital

Health providers must understand the full breadth of the digital health ecosystem to determine how to improve health literacy. Providers need to grasp the value and function of the following:

• Telehealth and telemedicine – Providers must adopt digitally-driven health literacy and communication platforms that enable the seamless automation of message delivery. This will help coordinate virtual care, maximize technological investments’ value, save valuable time and resources, and improve patient satisfaction.
• Mobile Health – As one of the strategies to improve health literacy, healthcare givers must be ready to deliver care through mobile means. Mobile devices, patient monitoring devices, and other ICT devices greatly help, especially where distance is a barrier to receiving care.
• Social networks – Social media platforms are powerful tools that providers should leverage to improve both physical and mental health literacy. These platforms allow healthcare professionals to communicate health information in ways that healthcare consumers can easily understand.
• Communication automation – By automating communication and operations, healthcare providers can enable the accessibility and usefulness of healthcare information. Automation will not only make it easy for patients to learn how to improve health literacy on their own. It will also improve slot utilization, and reduce no-shows.
• Big data – As the volume of healthcare data grows, providers must use big data to significantly improve patient engagement and health literacy. The use of unconventional data can enable an accurate health literacy assessment. This can enable effective health promotion. Providers can obtain data from sources like social determinants of health to help them strengthen treatment models and also sharpen their strategies to improve health literacy.

A fully-unified patient communication hub is key

A key way improve health literacy is to recruit a fully-integrated hub that permits effective communication and patient engagement. The goal is to pick the right healthcare platform that can handle communication, engagement, and education.

A digitally-powered communication solution such as WELL provides a conversational technological solution that unifies the full lifecycle of patient interactions.

Case in point: Vista Community Clinic grew their overall patient satisfaction to 86.4 percent after implementing WELL. MemorialCare Medical Foundation (MCMF) attributes a 35 percent clickthrough rate increase and a 25 percent conversion rate increase to the efficiency that WELL provides. Both patient satisfaction and engagement are strongly encouraged by, and encouraging of, health literacy.

Similarly linked to health literacy is the capacity for fast and thorough correspondence. With WELL, San Ysidro Health managed to send out 226,546 messages to patients within the first 60 days of implementing the solution. As company president and CEO Kevin Mattson said, “Many of our patients use their cell phones as a lifeline during this pandemic. WELL allows us to reach our patients with essential information about COVID-19 and how to access testing and care.” Accessing this essential information is the quintessence of health literacy.

Clinicians and policymakers should be attentive about how to improve health literacy, due to its significant impact on public health, patient wellness, and providers’ success. Technology has a massive potential to improve health literacy by reducing disparities through accessible, usable, and intelligent systems. Such health literacy solutions can tailor information, counseling, advice, and behavioral support to individual needs at their convenience.

For more health literacy examples and information, care providers can join Health Literacy Month and foster the importance of understandable health information.

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