Remote virtual front desk services and staffing efficacy in FQHCs

DHA 808

Variables and Design Elements

Original Research Question: Did implementing remote and virtual front desk services, including live representatives via webcam, impact staffing efficacy for underserved patients, especially patients with English as their second language in FQHCs post-pandemic?

Proposed Research Design

The study adopts a placebo-controlled trial design, where there are at least two groups, with one receiving the active intervention and the other the placebo.

The researcher will compare patient visit and no-show rates in two FQHC’s that have implemented remote and virtual front desk services, including live representatives via webcam (intervention), and two that have not implemented such telehealth programs (placebo).

Proposed Methods

Data on overall patient visits by specialty group (preventive services, primary care), and demographic characteristics (gender, primary language, ethnicity/race and insurance payer) will be collected for each facility between January and October 2023.

100 patient files will be selected randomly and inspected for missed appointments. The total number of missed appointments per month will be used to obtain the no-show rate for each of the four facilities.

Patient visits and no-show rates in facilities that implement telehealth will be compared with those that lack telehealth programs to assess the impact of telehealth on underserved patients.

Test Statistic

One way analysis of variance (ANOVA)

Independent Variables

Implementation of virtual front desks and live representatives (Yes/No), Gender (Male/Female), primary language (English/non-English), Ethnicity/Race (White, Black, Asian, Latino, Other), and Insurance payer (Private/Medicaid/Medicare).

Dependent Variable

Staffing efficacy, measured by patient numbers and no-show rates.

Hypothesis:

FQHCs that implement virtual front desks and live representative programs report significantly higher staffing efficacy for underserved patients, especially ESL patients, than those that do not implement such programs.

(µ1 ? µ2)

Null Hypothesis:

There is no significant difference in staffing efficacy between FQHCs that implement virtual front desks and live representatives and those that do not implement such programs.

(µ1 = µ2)

Total Study Duration:

November 2023 to January 2024.