Sure, you may have trouble understanding your doctor. But what if you really don’t speak the same language?
One of the big changes in healthcare caused by the pandemic is the rapid growth in telehealth services. Patients meet with healthcare professionals without having to travel to an office or hospital. It’s efficient, convenient, and reduces the chances of infection for everyone. But what if the patient and doctor don’t speak the same language? According to the Census Bureau, 8% of US residents struggle to communicate in English, and the number is much higher in some states. A telehealth company named VeeMed has addressed this problem by partnering with a service that provides real-time human translators. These people are trained as medical interpreters and can cover more than 40 different languages. The service is HIPAA-compliant, so the conversations are secure and confidential. This addition makes telehealth more effective as both doctor and patient can be confident that they understand each other.