Overview

The Connected Care Accelerator Equity Collaborative (CCA EC) was a 13-month learning collaborative that ran from April 2022 through May 2023 and included a diverse cohort of 22 safety-net organizations in California. Funded by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) and Cedars-Sinai and led by the Center for Care Innovations, the program aimed to enhance telehealth in the state’s health care safety net. The collaborative focused on three key areas to increase equitable access to telehealth: improving the use of video telehealth, enhancing access to telehealth for patients with preferred languages other than English, and supporting patients with digital barriers.

The collaborative was part of CHCF’s Tipping Point for Telehealth Initiative to help Federally Qualified Health Centers ramp up their telehealth capabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Collaborative Key Features

• Telehealth improvement projects. Participating organizations developed telehealth improvement projects focused on increasing equitable access to telehealth.
• Collaborative learning phases. The learning collaborative drew on lessons from the previous collaborative and on principles of human-centered design.
• Structured support. Participating organizations had monthly coaching sessions, virtual convenings, access to subject matter experts, and access to human-centered design tools.

Evaluation Results and Findings

• Progress toward equity goals:
  • Health centers implemented projects to reach patients experiencing digital barriers, particularly older adults and patients with preferred languages other than English. Improvements were made in telehealth workflows, technology, and staff training.
• Equitable access to telehealth:
  • Health centers enhanced their telehealth infrastructure, developing systems to screen patients for technology access, scheduling telehealth visits, and providing technical support.
  • Staff training on new workflows and technology was emphasized.
• Stable telehealth utilization:
  • Overall telehealth utilization remained stable, with variations across health centers and patient demographics.
  • Primary care and behavioral health visits conducted via telehealth showed a wide range of adoption across participating organizations, highlighting differences in video visit uptake.
• Impact of the learning collaborative:
  • The collaborative provided valuable resources, facilitated peer learning, and supported the adoption of new virtual care practices.
  • Over 80% of participants agreed that the collaborative advanced their organization’s use of video telehealth and helped address digital or language barriers.

The evaluation found that participating health centers made progress toward equity goals, focusing on patients with digital barriers, often older adults and patients preferring languages other than English. Health centers improved telehealth workflows, technology, and staff training, as noted in capacity assessments and project materials. Overall telehealth utilization remained stable throughout the initiative. The learning collaborative supported these efforts by providing resources, facilitating peer learning, and aiding the adoption of new virtual care practices.