Recent Evaluation of VRI Finds Increased Access to Medically Qualified Interpreters at AxessPointe Community Health Center
SEATTLE (PRWEB) September 11, 2018 -- To address the needs of its growing limited English proficient patient population, AxessPointe Community Health Centers, Inc. in Akron, Kent and Barberton, Ohio, partnered with InDemand Interpreting, a technology-enabled medical interpreting company, to implement VRI devices at six of its AxessPointe clinics, connecting patients and providers to medically qualified interpreters within seconds.
A recent examination of AxessPointe’s VRI adoption, included 12 months of historical language access data prior to the VRI implementation (August 2016 – August 2017) and language access data compiled from August 2017 – March 2018 following the VRI implementation, showed increased access to medically qualified interpreters. VRI provided AxessPointe with access to medically qualified interpreters in 28 languages over video, including American Sign Language (ASL) and Certified Deaf Interpreters, in addition to 200 languages via voice interpreting through the InDemand VRI application.
The goal of the review was to evaluate the total number of interpreter encounters, the length of those encounters, the top languages served and whether or not providers were satisfied with VRI. Some of the findings included:
• Following the VRI implementation at AxessPointe, nearly three and a half times the number of interpreter encounters per month were reported using VRI compared to the pre-VRI study period.
• AxessPointe saw a 26.8 percent decrease in interpreting encounter times for LEP patients.
• The use of on-demand access to medically qualified interpreters using InDemand VRI, resulted in staff and clinicians ranking their satisfaction with the service at 4.2 out of 5 stars.
• The risk of miscommunication between clinicians, patients and their family members was reduced.
“Adoption of InDemand interpreting services has given our clinicians peace of mind in knowing they are able to accurately understand our patients and provide the best possible care right when it is needed,” said Sarah Genet, Dental Office Manager, AxessPointe Community Health Centers. “With VRI, we have the ability to immediately access medically qualified interpreters, things are not getting missed when we are gathering a patient’s history and clinicians are able to establish a bond with the patient by understanding their needs and having a real conversation. We know InDemand interpreters are fluent, not only in a patient’s language, but they are also culturally competent and understand how to bridge any cultural nuances that may exist with ease.”
To view the full evaluation, visit: https://www.indemandinterpreting.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/InDemand-AxessPointe-CaseStudy-091018.pdf.
AxessPointe Community Health Centers provide affordable, high-quality and compassionate healthcare to families and individuals in Summit and Portage counties in Ohio. AxessPointe has five current sites in Northeast Ohio, including three in Akron, one in Kent and one in Barberton. As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), AxessPointe delivers primary medical and dental care in medically underserved areas.
InDemand Interpreting partners with healthcare organizations nationwide to bridge the communication gap between LEP, Deaf and hard of hearing (HOH) patients and their clinicians. InDemand immediately connects healthcare professionals to medically qualified interpreters 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in more than 200 languages, including American Sign Language (ASL) and Certified Deaf Interpreters (CDIs).
About AxessPointe
AxessPointe Community Health Centers, Inc. is a federally qualified health center with five current locations in Northeast Ohio, including three in Akron, one in Kent and one in Barberton. An FQHC is a not-for-profit corporation that delivers primary medical, dental and preventive health services in medically underserved areas. AxessPointe also provides behavioral health services and has a dedicated women’s health clinic. Originally named Akron Community Health Resources, Inc., the first center was located in Akron, and received funding in 1994 from the Bureau of Primary Health Care to establish the first federally qualified health center in Summit County. AxessPointe now employs more than 100 care providers at its five locations. Visit axesspointe.org to learn more.
About InDemand Interpreting
InDemand Interpreting was founded in 2007 with the vision of ensuring that every patient receives the highest quality healthcare, regardless of language, cultural background or disability. By delivering the most experienced medical interpreters and highest quality video technology InDemand Interpreting provides doctors, nurses and clinicians the language access they need to provide the best possible care. Visit InDemand at http://www.indemandinterpreting.com
Sarah Williamson, InDemand Interpreting, https://www.indemandinterpreting.com, +1 541.306.3613, [email protected]
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