To receive the healthcare they need, patients must be able to communicate effectively with their healthcare providers. However, the United States is made up of numerous ethnicities and countless spoken languages. English is the most common language in the country but many individuals do not speak the language or have a limited understanding of it. With the vast majority of healthcare providers only speaking English, this creates a communication barrier between doctors and patients.
Language barriers have been magnified throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as many non-primary English-speaking populations have needed to seek treatment for virus-related issues. In particular, the Hispanic community has experienced both economic and healthcare hardships caused by COVID-19. Hispanic community members are 1.7x more likely to contract the virus compared to non-Hispanic whites, and 4.1x more likely to be hospitalized.
The federal government now requires healthcare institutions to have translation and interpretation services available for non-English speaking individuals. Despite this, the communication barrier still persists today. Many institutions lack the right technology and resources to ensure all patients can clearly communicate with on-staff healthcare professionals.
It is critical that underserved populations receive the care they deserve, as the global community continues to wrestle with the pandemic. Here at QliqSOFT, we are aware of the communication gap that too often exists in hospitals and clinics, ultimately keeping individuals from preventative and life-saving care. In the current U.S. healthcare environment, it is estimated that 25 million Spanish-speaking individuals do not receive care due to the language barrier that exists.
Bridging the Communication Gap with Quincy
In an effort to bridge the gap, we offer multiple products designed to help alleviate the communication strain between English-speaking healthcare providers and non-English-speaking patients. Quincy is an A.I.-focused healthcare chatbot that can accurately translate conversations for both parties on the fly -- helping ensure that a productive dialogue can take place. Our Virtual Visits service offering allows patients and providers to meet face-to-face, and communicate efficiently, even if the two parties do not speak the same language. With translation integration from Cloudbreak, providers are able to communicate with patients in over 250+ languages. These tools have opened new doors for underserved communities and have made telehealth a viable option for non-traditional English-speaking individuals.
Our technology not only enhances the quality of life for patients but also the quality of care institutions are able to provide. With tools like Quincy and translated Virtual Visits, hospitals and clinics are able to provide the same level of care to all populations. Additionally, the implementation of this technology helps healthcare institutions capture missing revenue by allowing them to properly care for all individuals, regardless of language and English understanding.
Tearing Down The Healthcare Communication Barrier
QliqSOFT is dedicated to developing and providing tools to the healthcare community that ensure a better experience for both providers and patients. Quincy the Healthcare Chatbot and Virtual Visits are tools available to healthcare institutions that enable them to meet federal regulations, provide a better patient experience, and increase revenue -- all by making sure patients and providers can effectively communicate -- even in the face of a language barrier.
Contact us today at (866) 295-0451 about a free demo, or how to start implementing our technology at your health company!
