Providing support to underserved communities requires more than just accessible and effective care; it's about building trust, researchers said Wednesday in Phoenix. This was highlighted by a panel of experts at the Behavioral Health Tech Conference.
“We need to build trust and relationships with communities that have been marginalized, underserved, abused, abused, and misdiagnosed for more than 400 years,” said Alchemy Health founder and CEO said Ryan Mundy, CEO and panel discussion moderator. “So there is a lot of work to do to repair relationships and build trust.”
How can healthcare organizations build this trust? According to Bukata Hayes, chief capital officer and vice president of racial and health equity at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, organizations can It is important to be clear about what can and cannot be done.
“One of the things about trust is we don't leave our cards on the table. We said, 'Hey, we're here to help you – kind of a savior. “Instead of saying, “We're in the system.'' There are things the system can and cannot do. Here's what we can do within that system: “If you approach people and provide those data points, that information, that perspective, and they understand that you're working toward an end goal, that can build a little bit of trust.'' I think so,” Hayes said.
He added that it is important to recognize the history and fact that this system has been built on the exploitation of marginalized groups. Otherwise, “if you never acknowledge harm, trust will never be built.”
Additionally, asking questions is another way to build trust, according to Freespira CEO Joseph Perekupka. The company offers digital treatments for panic disorder, panic attacks, and post-traumatic stress disorder that help people regulate their breathing. We also provide check-in by coach.
“What we do to build trust is that we ask very specific questions,” Perepka said. “Every patient in our program is paired with a care coach who guides them for 28 days. They're not practicing medicine. They're really partners on this journey. But throughout it, Trust is built because they feel like they have someone to guide them. …We get input from each patient who goes through this so we can build a better patient experience. . … We train our teams, so the moment we reach out to someone from Freespira, they have the most up-to-date information to say, “Great, you’re a veteran, what we’ve heard from other veterans.” I try to be able to say, “This is how it is.” That's what got me through this program. ”
Ayo Gathing, regional vice president and chief medical officer for Humana Healthy Horizons, says it's also important to understand what patients really want. She is also a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist.
“What are you looking for? How can we help you? How can we be a partner? How can we work together? What do you want to do together? That's always what I think they need. “There's no limit,” she said. “I know the research and I know the data. It has to be a collaborative partnership, and that's where trust begins. …Tell me what you need and let me see if I can help. And I'll tell you what I saw, what I thought, and let's meet somewhere in the middle and see if we can start this journey long-term.''
Another panelist, Nisha Desai, co-founder and chief operating officer of Annis Health, said a lack of trust stems from patients not feeling seen and heard. He pointed out that this often occurs. Anise Health provides culturally sensitive digital mental health care for Asian Americans.
“I think therapeutic alliances are a really important tool when it comes to culturally responsive care and making sure people feel heard by their health care providers,” she said. “We are constantly thinking of ways to improve the therapeutic collaboration by providing the right information to healthcare providers so that patients feel seen and heard. In the process…we think about the whole human being. Their religious background, gender, sexual orientation, language, generational status, possibilities that are important to recognize in the process of providing care. I'm thinking about the various elements that make up a person.
Photo: LoveTheWind, Getty Images
