Since its inception, the Telehealth Therapeutics Team has gained numerous insights. The use of telemedicine between patients and healthcare professionals has been advantageous.
Today, telemedicine is more accessible and reduces barriers in access to care, especially for those who do not consider themselves computer savvy, or who do not have access to technology or internet service. Additionally, language barriers in the beginning were a cause for concern but with many technological advantages, telemedicine provides therapeutic options for LA County residents to have easy access to medication and translation services to combat COVID-19. Utilizing this system during times of social distance is a simple convenience. In addition, it reduces the potential travel required by both the physician and the patient, as well as the associated costs. Given that these individuals are COVID-19 positive, they should be isolating, and telemedicine enables them to obtain medication and be evaluated promptly in the comfort of their own home. In this method, infectious disease is also controlled. The delivery of medical care is being transformed by telemedicine, which has contributed to the containment of the COVID-19 outbreak through the administration of antiviral treatment to those who have tested positive for the virus and are symptomatic. The establishment of a telemedicine therapeutics program has also enabled uninsured/underinsured persons to obtain medications in the comfort of their own homes. Given the restricted time window for acquiring pharmaceuticals, the ability to screen remotely and pick up the medication at a nearby pharmacy or have the medication transported to the patient's home has proven to be of great assistance.
The Telehealth Therapeutics Program has also been effective in transforming people's lives. It is essential to note that a piece appeared in the Los Angeles Times talking about the telehealth therapeutic initiative. The article describes a person who tested positive for COVID-19 and searched for a 'Test to Treat' clinic, but after several unsuccessful tries, called the DPH COVID-19 Information Line. Her call was immediately answered, and nurses reviewed his medical history. Less than twenty minutes later, the healthcare professional phoned the patient to discuss symptoms and current medications to offer Molnupiravir. The provider sent an e-prescription to a local pharmacy and the patient's friend picked up and delivered the medication. The next day, a DPH nurse followed up with the patient to inquire further about their symptoms, which was unexpected because the patient did not anticipate anyone to do so. In light of this, the county has prioritized providing timely and effective care in a fantastic and courteous manner. They also ensure the patients are feeling better. This story in the Los Angeles Times enables other community members to see the positive results and encourages them to phone the call center information line. These types of narratives are significant to read because they describe our work and demonstrate that we have a positive impact on the lives of others. Link to the article: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2022-06-22/covid-coronavirus-breakthrough-infection-antiviral-los-angeles-county-department-of-public-health
In order to promote inclusiveness, variety, and culture, the telehealth team also consists of culturally diverse staff. Our team is therefore able to accommodate California residents with language restrictions. In addition, according to our telehealth therapeutic data, although English was the predominant language most spoken, 16.67% of those interested in treatments spoke Spanish, followed by Mandarin at 1.42%. Therefore, it was essential for our team to bridge the language divide and ensure that language does not prevent patients from obtaining treatments. In addition to having bilingual staff members, DPH collaborates with Language Line Solutions, which provides access to over 60 different languages. When a patient requires a language that is not spoken by our personnel, they can call the Language Line and a translator will translate over the phone. This encourages our community members to call the telehealth team without hesitation. Overall, this decreases linguistic barriers among vulnerable populations.
The Therapeutic Team as a whole also concentrated on outreach efforts to spread the word about the availability of medications. Outreach therapeutic campaigns leverage social media and local news to spread the word on the accessibility of therapeutics. It is important for teams to advocate for effective, culturally appropriate messaging that is tailored to the local community to boost confidence in these medications. Misinformation from a variety of sources, including the mainstream media, contributes significantly to the public's mistrust in COVID-19 medications. Trust in public health authorities about COVID-19 was a factor that may have impacted individuals' use of COVID-19 medications. LAC-DPH attempts to address this by utilizing various social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to provide accurate information to individuals about available therapeutic resources. Future public health initiatives to enhance COVID-19 medication acceptability among non-healthcare professionals should focus on increasing public trust and confidence, dismissing myths about its adverse effects and cost, and promoting the public understanding that these medications are free and accessible for all.
Community partnerships are an essential public health strategy and has been of great assistance in promoting the therapeutic network. These partnerships increase the opportunities for communities to be aware of the possible treatment options available should they contract COVID-19. Partnerships with numerous community organizations and healthcare practitioners have enabled us to spread information about these treatments. Individuals have faith in their neighborhood, organizations, and local practitioners. Through regular communication from these trusted partners, the public will likely feel comfortable receiving these medications. Therefore, it has been essential to be in contact with numerous community partners throughout Los Angeles County to spread the news about COVID-19 medications. Further, to ensure providers are abreast of important updates regarding therapeutics, we utilize our Los Angeles Health Alert Network (LAHAN) and the DPH Physician Consult Line to spread new information to healthcare providers.
In addition, demographic information has shown that people's willingness to accept medication is affected by a variety of factors, such as age, level of education, race, previous exposure to COVID-19, and perceptions regarding the efficacy and safety of therapeutics. Their decision to seek treatment was significantly impacted by a variety of factors, including the skepticism expressed by experts in the field of public health, worries regarding the possibility of unfavorable side effects as well as concerns regarding the treatment's efficacy, and a desire for additional information. There is a need for more research to be done on public health interventions that are designed to boost drug consumption.
Little is still known about the variables that may affect healthcare and non-healthcare professionals' adoption of the COVID-19 therapeutics. However, local health authorities may be able to create more successful programs to increase therapeutic coverage. This can be accomplished through gaining a deeper understanding of the elements that influence people and subgroups in general. Plans for sustainability have been in effect since the beginning of the grant period. The team has concentrated on three aspects of sustainability: community engagement, communication, and accessibility. The lessons learned and the structures and frameworks developed have been recorded for future emergency responses, to protect the lives of our inhabitants and their families.