Assessment and Training of Cultural Competency Among Telehealth Physicians for COVID-19 Response

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This abstract examines cultural competency and the need for additional training for a group of telehealth physicians in the context of a national program for COVID-19 response. Specifically, the objective was to assess previous training in, and perception of, healthcare disparities. This review focused on physicians who were involved in the largest community-based expanded telehealth model in the country, supporting over 17 million COVID-19 tests through alternative venues such as drive-thru sites. With over 36% of all testing occurring in Health Professional Shortage Areas, the link to knowledge and outlook were both highly relevant and critical to program success and patient outcomes. To conduct this evaluation, we sent a survey to a randomized subset of physicians. The response rate of this group was 87%, or 52 total physicians. Survey results demonstrated that: – 44% had never received training on treating underserved populations -71% felt that physicians do not receive adequate training on how to provide quality care to minority patients. As part of this program, ongoing training on healthcare disparities and clinical skills to combat implicit bias and increase cultural humility has been initiated.

Authors:

• Doria Weiss, Senior Clinical Coordinator, PWNHealth
• Doug Elwood, Chief Medical Officer, PWNHealth