The US Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion notes that “Many people face barriers that prevent or limit access to needed health care services, which may increase the risk of poor health outcomes and health disparities.1” As Medicare rolls out its annual Health Outcomes Survey (HOS) and Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey (CAHPS), it will be looking at access to care as a key issue especially due to increased obstacles during the COVID pandemic.
How can access be improved? In this interview opportunity, Dr. Patheja will talk about new approaches to help older adults access needed medical care. In the most recent CAHPS survey, 46% of patients said they avoided urgent care or ER admissions thanks to telemedicine. How do health care teams reach patients who are unfamiliar with or can’t afford the necessary technology? A service available in Florida includes delivery of a sanitized computer tablet that instantly connects patients with a doctor or an advanced practice clinician with a simple push of a button. They don’t even need home Internet. This approach had led to nearly a quarter million added doctor visits for WellMed patients.
This segment is provided to you by WellMed part of Optum
About Dr. Patheja
Dr. Preeti K. Patheja is Senior Medical Director at WellMed and is an internist in Tampa, Florida. She received her medical degree from University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine. Dr. Patheja is dedicated to providing the best patient experience for her patients. This includes a personalized approach to your medical care and providing you with the education and preventative tools you need to improve your health and well-being.
