PC1261: Use of Telemedicine in Spanish-speaking Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Telemedicine use has more than doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020, but there is limited research into the efficacy of using telemedicine in the field of developmental/behavioral pediatrics, particularly among families who are native Spanish speakers. The main objective of this study was to identify potential barriers and advantages to using telemedicine among Spanish-speaking families with children in the wake of a global pandemic.

Methods: Participants were recruited from pediatric clinics in New Jersey. Native Spanish-speaking parents of children (1–17 years, M= 8.86, 53% male) who have used telemedicine services were included in the study (N = 158). Questionnaires were completed in person, over the phone, or electronically via a secure link. All recruitment and data collection procedures were conducted by bilingual research staff.

Results: Families were diverse in terms of cultural background: 47% were from Mexico, 26% from other countries in Central America, 16% from the Caribbean, and 11% from South America. More than half (65%) of the sample reported using telemedicine on occasion, and more than one-third (37%) used translator services nearly all the time. Most participants reported at least one advantage (88%) and one disadvantage (73%) to using telemedicine. English proficiency was not significantly correlated with telemedicine usage but as expected was significantly negatively correlated with the use of translation services (ρ = -.66). English proficiency was also significantly correlated with reported advantages (ρ = .33) and disadvantages (ρ = -.24) of using telemedicine.

Participants that reported they or a close friend/family member were impacted by COVID-19 (either via virus exposure or death) were more likely to report using telemedicine than those who reported no impact. However, the association was only significant at higher levels of English proficiency (F = 15.62, p < .01). Parents of children with a behavioral/ or medical condition did not significantly differ from parents of children without a condition in terms of telemedicine usage or reported advantages and disadvantages of using telemedicine. On average, participants who reported they would continue using telemedicine had higher English proficiency than those who reported they would not (W= 1816, p< .01).

To evaluate the relative importance of different advantages and disadvantages of telemedicine across cultural groups Friedman rank-sum tests were conducted (Table 2). Not having to drive and take off work were endorsed more often as advantages than were accessibility or saving time. Not having a physical exam or seeing the doctor in person were endorsed more frequently as disadvantages than technical difficulties and translator issues.

Conclusion: Findings underscore the need to better implement translation services in telemedicine for Spanish-speaking families who cannot fully benefit due to language barriers. Telehealth may be a tool to improve healthcare access for this population who already face multiple barriers.