How health systems can help address language barriers to achieve digital health equity

The parents of a 7-year-old girl call their clinic with concerns about the health of their daughter. A telehealth visit is scheduled. On the day of the appointment, her parents, who speak and read a language other than English, are unable to navigate the patient portal account to join the virtual visit. She subsequently misses the appointment and experiences months with declining health and school performance that could have been avoided with early diagnosis and treatment. Telemedicine provides incredible opportunities for patient access and engagement that could mitigate limitations often experienced by vulnerable families. However, like we see in the case above, those benefits may not be enjoyed equally by all. (author abstract)