Understanding the Knowledge Gap Experienced by U.S. Safety Net Patients in Teleretinal Screening.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Digital Health Equity
• Patient Education

Background:

• Socioeconomic barriers and limited digital/health literacy impede safety-net patients' engagement with telehealth.
• A
• knowledge gap
• exists, affecting healthcare delivery and patient understanding in urban safety-net settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the factors contributing to the knowledge gap among safety-net patients undergoing teleretinal screening.
• To understand how this knowledge gap impacts patient perception and self-management of care.
• To identify potential strategies for ameliorating the identified knowledge gap.

Main Methods:

• Conducted six focus groups with African American and Latino patients receiving teleretinal screening.
• Employed a modified grounded theory methodology for qualitative data analysis.
• Focused on patient experiences within an urban safety-net healthcare setting.

Main Results:

• The knowledge gap is exacerbated by pre-existing patient barriers, technology encounters during screening, and insufficient follow-up care.
• This gap leads to patient confusion and potentially limits their ability to perceive and manage their own health.
• Identified three critical points in the care delivery process where the knowledge gap is produced.

Conclusions:

• Patient education addressing both disease pathology and the role of telehealth is crucial for improving care delivery.
• Addressing socioeconomic and literacy barriers is essential to enhance telehealth effectiveness for vulnerable populations.
• Interventions should focus on improving patient understanding and engagement throughout the telehealth care continuum.