| How a Tech-Enabled HR Approach Empowers Care Staff, Improves Retention | <p><img src="/Articles/PublishingImages/740%20x%20740/0120_News4.jpg" class="ms-rtePosition-1" alt="" style="margin:5px;width:200px;height:200px;" />Health care has a people problem. While care staff are the heart of every organization, they are becoming increasingly hard to find—and even harder to retain. Staffing shortages are forcing occupancy reductions, driving up costs, and in some cases, even leaving patients at risk.</p><p>That’s because in an industry where people matter most, the tools to support them are lacking. Too many organizations are relying on outdated or broken systems that contribute to frustration, burnout, and attrition. </p><p>While technology can’t solve every problem, the right systems can help organizations reimagine their recruitment, onboarding, scheduling, and pay experiences to help boost job satisfaction, reduce burnout, and nurture teams that are happy to boast long-term retention. These people-first solutions help organizations shift from a staffing shortage mindset to one focused on building a long-term foundation for job satisfaction and retention. Only then will resilient, reliable, and long-tenured workforces help organizations thrive from the inside-out. </p><h3>Pay Transparency Earns Trust, Boosts Retention</h3><p>While on paper, payroll may just seem like a list of numbers, in reality, it means a whole lot more. Accurate and reliable pay signals value, partnership, and trust. That’s why the importance of pay transparency cannot be overstated. Itemized pay stubs that break down exactly how pay was calculated—including gross pay, overtime pay, tax withholdings, net pay, and more—help staff clearly see exactly what they’ve earned each pay period. When done well, it is a fantastic avenue toward long-term retention—when done poorly, it breeds mistrust, indifference, and contributes to high rates of staff turnover.</p><p>This is so important because pay is inextricably linked to retention. It is considered the most motivating factor—by a mile. In a recent study, The 2025 Health care Workforce Management Report, 75 percent of care staff identify higher pay as their biggest employment incentive.</p><p>Yet, confidence in payroll is lacking. Our research revealed that nearly one-quarter (24 percent) of all care staff are not confident their pay is calculated accurately—making payroll a trust issue. Even one error can feel like a betrayal. One-fifth (20 percent) of those respondents said they would lose significant trust in their employer after even just one error—which 81 percent of admins report making each month. An overwhelming majority, 80 percent, would lose trust after just three of these errors.</p><p>These processes needn’t be manual or riddled with errors. Solutions that are tailor-made for health care organizations can help ensure payroll accuracy by automating pay and overtime standards, shift differentials, and providing itemized pay stubs that offer a deep insight into earnings each pay period. Not only do these solutions help streamline administrative tasks—purpose-built workforce management solutions for health care have been shown to reduce payroll time by 85 percent per pay period—but by granting clarity and insight into earnings, help implicitly regain staff trust in the process.  Technology that simplifies, clarifies, and communicates pay structure in real-time is foundational to any care organization’s long-term retention strategy. <br></p><h3>Schedule Flexibility Fills Shifts, Offers Opportunity, Fosters Work-Life Balance </h3><p>When it comes to shift scheduling, there’s plenty of room for improvement. While scheduling may seem like just one piece of a much larger puzzle, the impact of poor scheduling can reverberate across an entire organization. </p><p>Shift flexibility isn’t just a nice-to-have—it affects capacity and compliance, operational efficiency, burnout, and retention. Outdated tools and manual processes limit both care staff and their administrators with rigid shift schedules that prevent workplaces from thriving.</p><p>Without the ability to dynamically adjust inventory in real-time, or help fill in the gaps when too many shifts are left open, organizations struggle to remain at compliant staffing levels, often develop an over-reliance on costly, temporary staffing agencies, and wind up placing additional strain on their existing—and already overburdened—care team members.</p><p>For care staff who juggle long days, physically taxing shifts, heavy workloads, and high-stress situations, burnout is high—which is <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11092296/" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="60b7cbf17788425491b2d083" target="_blank">associated</a> with lower levels of job satisfaction, poorer overall health, and elevated turnover. </p><p>Purpose-built technology that helps make scheduling a fluid and responsive experience can transform all these pain points. Empowering staff with autonomy and shift flexibility empowers them to take control of their own financial and employment goals. Whether it’s earning additional paychecks, unlocking shift flexibility for better work-life balance, or just granting a deeper level of visibility into their own workplace, shift flexibility offers options that appeal to everyone. </p><h3>Leverage Tools That Tune in to Care Staff Motivation and Purpose</h3><p>People don’t choose health care for the paycheck; they choose it because they care. Despite industry challenges and high rates of turnover, care staff are dedicated to their profession: 62 percent of respondents affirm health care is their long-term career path. Still, administrators underestimate their commitment: only 29 percent believe that the average care team member intends to remain in health care for the long haul.</p><p>This disconnect helps underscore a fundamental gap in perspective, one that if properly understood could help boost job satisfaction and earn long-term retention. The passion and joy is there, but so is the mounting frustration. Burnout, scheduling challenges, stagnant or inaccurate earnings, lack of support, and limited career growth opportunities hinder employee satisfaction—and drive excellent team members out the door.</p><p>The good news is that these challenges are addressable. Organizations that adopt people-first strategies and tune in to their care teams’ core drivers and sense of purpose can staunch attrition and begin to foster healthy workplaces that keep employees engaged, satisfied, and optimistic.</p><p>These strategies cannot be run with manual processes and using outdated or generalized point solutions alone. Purpose-built workforce management solutions for health care are designed to support stakeholders across the entire organization with automations, compliance rules, flexible scheduling, pay transparency, onboarding, and communication tools that support care staff and administrators alike.</p><p>Care teams love what they do. By helping teams reconnect with what they love about work, people-first technology supports a healthier, more fulfilling workplace—a place where your team can see themselves wanting to stay, grow, and make a difference. <br><br><em>Navin Gupta is chief executive officer of <a href="https://viventium.com/" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="60b7cbf17788425491b2d083" target="_blank">Viventium</a>. With an interdisciplinary background in health care, technology, and business spanning over 25 years, Gupta brings knowledge, experience, and an approach that aligns with Viventium’s company values of people, accountability, and innovation. <br></em></p><p><br><em></em></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="/Video-Resources/ProviderTV/Pages/Purpose-built-Technology-Supports-Care-Outcomes-with-Viventium.aspx" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="60b7cbf17788425491b2d083" target="_blank">Learn more</a> about Viventium: <a href="/Video-Resources/ProviderTV/Pages/Purpose-built-Technology-Supports-Care-Outcomes-with-Viventium.aspx" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="60b7cbf17788425491b2d083" target="_blank"><img src="/Video-Resources/ProviderTV/PublishingImages/2024/Viventium.jpg" alt="" style="margin:5px;width:200px;height:115px;" /></a><br></p> | 2025-05-22T04:00:00Z | <img alt="" src="/Articles/PublishingImages/740%20x%20740/0120_News4.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | Technology;Workforce | Navin Gupta | While technology can’t solve every problem, the right systems can help organizations reimagine their recruitment, onboarding, scheduling, and pay experiences to help boost job satisfaction, reduce burnout, and nurture teams that are happy to boast long-term retention. |
| Putting on Our Own Oxygen Mask: Prioritizing Movement for Caregivers | <p><img src="/Articles/PublishingImages/740%20x%20740/exercise.jpg" alt="oxygen mask" class="ms-rtePosition-2" style="margin:5px;width:200px;height:200px;" />With a clinical background as an EMT, I understand the immense value of caregivers—both at home and in clinical settings. As the leader of a post-acute health care system serving people in New York State, New York City, and Southern New Jersey, I have the opportunity to put that understanding into action.</p><p>We’ve all heard the saying, "put your own oxygen mask on first." The metaphor perfectly illustrates the importance of prioritizing personal needs to be able to care for others. In the health care setting, it can describe any action that will increase well-being, prevent burnout, and set an example for both patients and colleagues. I know that when caregivers feel healthy and cared for, they provide even better care for their charges.</p><p>In 10 years, the number of people aged 65 and over will reach 77 million, and by 2060, that number will hit nearly 95 million, meaning that a significant percentage of our society will soon need elder care. Amid this ballooning in need, making sure there are enough qualified and compassionate clinical caregivers for our aging loved ones will get increasingly more difficult. Right now, in our country, there is a shortage of qualified nurses and health care professionals—especially front-line responders—and this trend is expected to continue.</p><p>Engaging and retaining qualified and compassionate clinical caregivers is one of the long term care community’s greatest challenges. But supporting and uplifting their overall well-being is something that can make a huge impact.</p><p>Health leaders, working with their HR teams, can easily start their own wellness movements in their organizations. Here’s how:<br></p><ul><li>Foster programs that encourage physical activity, such as movement challenges, 5k running teams, volleyball matches, softball tournaments, or bowling leagues.</li><li>Encourage lunchtime walking clubs, and reward high steppers with recognition or prizes. Utilize your social media accounts to lift up participants and encourage colleagues to share.</li><li>Prioritize standing or walking meetings. End calls 5 or 10 minutes before the hour to give employees time to stretch and move.</li><li>If possible, offer the ability to use flexible hours to fit in workouts.</li></ul><p>Across Centers Health Care, healthy movement is intentional, celebrated, and encouraged for both residents and staff. Last year, our program, Care That Moves You, inspired more than 2,500 minutes of movement across our network. We offered a series of summer events at all facilities that encouraged residents, employees, families, and communities to stay active and healthy. </p><p>Movement is a cornerstone of our care as well, so we’re excited about how our Care That Moves You program promotes healthy habits through exercise and engaging activities. From outdoor luaus and 50s-themed carnivals to group Zumba and exercise sessions to games like bowling, ring toss, shuffleboard, and even basketball, residents throughout our facilities got active together and had fun.</p><p>For 27 years, our mission has been delivering exceptional post-acute care, whether it's short-term rehabilitation or long-term support. In the two years that we’ve hosted Care That Moves You, we’ve seen an increase in mobility and overall health and wellbeing—not just for residents, but for our team members as well—and that’s truly phenomenal.</p><p>And we’re promoting movement all year round—not just in the summertime. Each Thanksgiving we hold Turkey Trot-themed events at to make movement fun around the holidays. To celebrate National Heart Month in February, we challenged our residents and team members to do as many jumping jacks as possible within a two-minute period for prizes and systemwide recognition. We participate in and sponsor local spring and fall 5k races in the communities we serve. We’re constantly challenging our caregivers, encouraging them to exercise and helping them to build healthy habits to last a lifetime.</p><p><img src="/Articles/PublishingImages/2025/Kenny-Rozenberg.jpg" alt="Kenny Rozenberg" class="ms-rtePosition-1" style="margin:5px;width:150px;height:225px;" />Retention is a critical component of our success. By investing in our people and creating a supportive, healthy environment, we have seen a noticeable decrease in turnover rates. Our employees report that they feel valued.</p><p>We’re instilling a culture of putting our own oxygen mask on first, in order to bring our best selves to those we serve. A simple concept, but a powerful one. <br><br><em>Kenny Rozenberg is chief executive officer of <a href="https://centershealthcare.com/" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="60b7cbf17788425491b2d083" target="_blank">Centers Health Care</a> and a certified paramedic. Centers Health Care is a premier network of skilled nursing, rehabilitation, and senior care services with 45 locations throughout the Northeast. </em><br></p> | 2025-05-20T04:00:00Z | <img alt="" src="/Articles/PublishingImages/740%20x%20740/exercise.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | Caregiving;Workforce | Kenny Rozenberg | We’ve all heard the saying, "put your own oxygen mask on first." The metaphor perfectly illustrates the importance of prioritizing personal needs to be able to care for others. In the health care setting, it can describe any action that will increase well-being, prevent burnout, and set an example for both patients and colleagues. |
| Breaking the Polypharmacy Cycle in LTC: Strategies for Clinical and Financial Success | <p>
<strong class="ms-rteForeColor-2">ADVERTORIAL</strong></p><a href="https://guardianpharmacy.com/provider-resources/" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="60b7cbf17788425491b2d083" target="_blank"><img src="/SiteCollectionImages/logos/Guardian-Pharmacy-Services-.png" class="ms-rtePosition-2" alt="" style="margin:5px;width:200px;height:107px;" /></a>
<p>Polypharmacy, broadly defined as the use of multiple medications, poses a formidable challenge in long term care (LTC), with negative financial implications for communities and potentially harmful consequences for residents. As the older population in the U.S. continues to grow at an exponential rate and develops many of the medical conditions associated with aging, the reliance on multiple medications to address these issues has surged. As a result, the prevalence of polypharmacy in LTC communities has reached daunting levels. </p><p>The consequences of polypharmacy not only include an increased risk of adverse drug reactions, drug interactions, hospitalizations, and falls among residents, but it also imposes a substantial financial strain on LTC operators as residents require a greater level of care.</p><h3>Defining Polypharmacy and Its Drivers<br></h3><p>Polypharmacy is a complex topic with varying perspectives. While no standard definition exists, it commonly refers to the use of five or more medications daily. A systematic review published in the
<em>Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care</em> revealed that among residents in these communities, 91 percent were taking more than five medications, while 65 percent were taking more than 10. With the Lown Institute predicting that inappropriate polypharmacy will cost the healthcare system an additional $62 billion between 2020 and 2030, it’s crucial to understand the drivers behind polypharmacy.</p><h3>Factors That Contribute to Polypharmacy</h3><p>
<strong>Prescribing cascades:</strong> These occur when a medication causes a side effect that is mistaken for a new medical condition, leading to additional prescriptions. This creates a cycle of escalating medication use.</p><p>
<strong>Clinical practice guidelines and limited deprescribing guidance:</strong> Guidelines often recommend multiple medications for residents with complex conditions, increasing the risk of polypharmacy. Meanwhile, few guidelines exist to support deprescribing—the supervised reduction or discontinuation of unnecessary or harmful medications—so residents may continue taking drugs they no longer need.</p><p>
<strong>Increased availability of condition-specific medications: </strong>The expanding number of available drugs, combined with direct-to-consumer marketing and resident requests, drives up prescribing. Use of multiple prescribers, such as specialists, and guideline recommendations for multiple medications per medical condition further compound the issue.</p><h3>The Detrimental Effects of Polypharmacy on Resident Outcomes </h3><p>Polypharmacy has serious consequences for residents, leading to a range of negative outcomes that affect their health and well-being. It increases the risk of falls, adverse drug reactions, medication interactions, and non-adherence. This results in longer hospital stays, more frequent readmissions, and even higher mortality rates. In fact, polypharmacy is responsible for nearly 30percent of all hospital admissions an</p><p>d ranks as the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, according to Health Research Funding.</p><p>But the consequences of polypharmacy go beyond health outcomes. Residents dealing with polypharmacy also face higher healthcare costs, with expenses nearly doubling compared to those without polypharmacy.</p><h3>The Financial Impact of Polypharmacy on LTC Communities</h3><p>
<strong>Increased Labor Costs</strong><br>With staffing challenges already straining the LTC industry, managing complex medication regimens adds to labor demands and costs. Polypharmacy results in longer med passes, more frequent monitoring, and increased risk of adverse drug events—all of which consume valuable staff time and limit their ability to complete other responsibilities. Often, communities must hire additional staff to manage the workload, compounding financial pressures.</p><p>
<strong>More Care Transitions, Shorter Lengths of Stay</strong><br>Keeping residents in lower-acuity settings is both cost-effective for operators and beneficial for residents. However, polypharmacy increases hospitalizations, emergency visits, and transitions to skilled nursing, shortening length of stay in assisted living. This creates added expenses—such as discharge and readmission coordination, extra nursing hours, and ongoing marketing efforts to replace residents and maintain occupancy—directly impacting the bottom line.</p><h3>Strategies to Reduce Polypharmacy</h3><p>Reducing polypharmacy in LTC settings can be challenging, but several effective strategies can help:<br></p><ol><li>
<strong>Know your residents, their conditions, and medication purposes. </strong>Staff should have a thorough understanding of each resident’s conditions and the purpose behind every medication. This insight helps flag medications that lack a clinical justification or are dosed inappropriately. Staff should feel empowered to consult prescribers or pharmacists, remain alert to side effects, and question prescribing patterns when needed. A team-based, inquisitive approach is key to addressing unnecessary medications.</li><li>
<strong>Engage residents and their families to assess preferences and concerns. </strong>Proactive, face-to-face conversations with residents and families can uncover insights about medication preferences and concerns. Research shows residents are often open to reducing medications—but these discussions typically need to be initiated by clinical staff. By actively listening and relaying feedback to prescribers, staff help tailor safer, more personalized regimens and reduce the risk of adverse events linked to polypharmacy.</li><li>
<strong>Utilize an LTC pharmacy partner and a collaborative approach to reduce polypharmacy.</strong></li></ol><p></p><p>In skilled nursing, the required monthly pharmacist medication regimen reviews focus on identifying and addressing polypharmacy. In assisted living—where consultant pharmacist involvement varies by state—savvy operators partner with LTC pharmacies and adopt a collaborative approach with the broader healthcare team to gain similar benefits. Across all settings, operators should expect their LTC pharmacy partner to:<br></p><ul><li>
<strong>Be an active part of the multidisciplinary care team.</strong> LTC pharmacists are experts in spotting polypharmacy risks. They conduct medication reconciliations during care transitions, simplify regimens, and work collaboratively with residents, families, and the broader healthcare team—including primary care physicians, specialists, and nursing staff—to improve prescribing practices. Consultations should cover high-risk medications, antibiotic and psychotropic use, and prioritize deprescribing opportunities. In assisted living, even quarterly medication regimen reviews can significantly reduce polypharmacy. </li><li>
<strong>Use technology to enhance safety. </strong>LTC pharmacies combine technology and clinical expertise to detect interactions and duplicate therapies. While technology is essential, human oversight ensures its safe and effective use.</li><li>
<strong>Provide proactive interventions and data-driven insights. </strong>Pharmacists should intervene early—before a new medication is dispensed—to monitor outcomes and ensure drug combinations are safe and appropriate. LTC operators benefit from this type of reporting that tracks the pharmacy team’s clinical impact, offering valuable insights to improve resident care.</li></ul><p>
<em>For example, in 2024, Guardian Pharmacy’s proprietary Clinical Intervention program reported more than 112,000 pharmacist-led interventions—identifying over 11,000 instances of duplicate therapy, more than 9,000 cases of unusual dosing (such as doses too high or too low for a resident), and over 28,000 orders that required clarification before dispensing.</em></p><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>Breaking the cycle of polypharmacy is key to improving outcomes and reducing costs. By eliminating unnecessary medications, communities lower the risk of side effects, drug interactions, falls, and hospitalizations. A pharmacist-led, collaborative approach helps optimize regimens and ensure safe, effective care. Communities should rely on their LTC pharmacy partners to lead in this area of expertise, promoting better resident health and long-term financial stability.</p><p>To learn more visit us at <a href="https://guardianpharmacy.com/provider-resources/" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="60b7cbf17788425491b2d083" target="_blank">https://guardianpharmacy.com/provider-resources/</a>.<br><br><span class="ms-rteStyle-Normal">References</span><br class="ms-rteStyle-Normal"><span class="ms-rteStyle-Normal">Nguyen PV, Spinelli C. Prescribing cascade in an elderly woman. Can Pharm J (Ott). 2016 May;149(3):122-4. doi: 10.1177/1715163516640811. Epub 2016 Apr 1. PMID: 27</span></p><p>
<span class="ms-rteStyle-Normal">212961; PMCID: PMC4860747.</span><br><br><em><img src="/Articles/PublishingImages/2025/Erin%20Marriott.png" alt="Erin Marriott" class="ms-rtePosition-1" style="margin:5px;width:160px;height:160px;" />Erin Marriott is a board-certified geriatric pharmacist and a seasoned LTC clinical consultant pharmacist. A graduate of the University of Toledo School of Pharmacy and board certified in geriatrics, Marriott has more than 20 years of experience in the long term care industry. She currently serves as the senior director of clinical and regulatory support for
<a href="https://guardianpharmacy.com/provider-resources/" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="60b7cbf17788425491b2d083" target="_blank">Guardian Pharmacy Services </a>in Atlanta, Georgia, and has an extensive background as a clinical consultant pharmacist, directly serving long-term care and senior living communities for more than 15 years. She is an active member of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists and has received advanced training in antimicrobial stewardship and anticoagulation management.</em></p> | 2025-05-06T04:00:00Z | <img alt="" src="/Articles/PublishingImages/740%20x%20740/medications_4.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | Finance;Management | Erin Marriott | As the older population in the U.S. continues to grow at an exponential rate and develops many of the medical conditions associated with aging, the reliance on multiple medications to address these issues has surged. |
| AI as an Equalizer Building Accessible Telehealth Platforms | <p><img src="/Articles/PublishingImages/2025/senior_telehealth.jpg" class="ms-rtePosition-2" alt="" style="margin:5px;width:200px;height:200px;" />The rise of telehealth has reshaped modern health care, offering patients unprecedented access to remote care. Yet for millions of people with disabilities, these platforms often fall short. Complex interfaces, poorly designed tools, and a lack of adaptability exclude those who need telehealth the most. Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to change this narrative by powering solutions that prioritize accessibility—but only if developers, clinicians, and policymakers collaborate to ensure these tools are equitable, ethical, and universally beneficial.</p><h3>The Silent Barriers in Telehealth</h3><p>Despite advancements, many telehealth platforms remain inaccessible to individuals with disabilities. Studies and audits have highlighted significant accessibility issues in health care platforms, particularly regarding screen readers and keyboard navigation compatibility. For example, research on open-source electronic health record (EHR) systems found partial accessibility, with challenges in screen reader compatibility and keyboard navigation. For someone with low vision, an unlabelled graph detailing medication instructions becomes a roadblock. For a person with ALS, a multi-step login process requiring precise mouse clicks can derail an entire appointment.</p><p>Regulatory changes are pushing health care providers to address these gaps. The Department of Health and Human Services issued a final rule requiring entities receiving federal funding to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards for digital accessibility, with compliance deadlines set for May 11, 2026, or May 10, 2027, depending on the size of the organization. This shift reflects a growing recognition that digital accessibility is not optional, but it is a fundamental component of equitable care.</p><p>In long term and post-acute care (LTPAC) settings, the stakes are even higher. Patients with cognitive impairments, such as dementia, may struggle with voice-activated tools, while those recovering from strokes often face communication barriers that standard telehealth interfaces cannot accommodate.</p><h3>AI-Powered Solutions Breaking Down Barriers</h3><p>AI offers unique opportunities to address these challenges by automating accessibility adaptations and personalizing user experiences. Below are three critical areas where AI is making a difference:</p><h4>1.    Simplifying Medical Communication.</h4><p>Patients with cognitive disabilities or limited health literacy often encounter dense, jargon-filled content in telehealth portals. Natural language processing models can analyze complex medical text and generate plain-language summaries. For example, AI can rephrase “Administer 5 mg of rivaroxaban daily for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis” to “Take one 5 mg blood thinner pill daily to prevent blood clots.” Early implementations show such adaptations reduce patient confusion and improve adherence to treatment plans.</p><h4>2.    Making Visual and Auditory Content Accessible.</h4><p>Medical imaging is vital for diagnostics, but without descriptions, blind patients miss critical information. AI-driven computer vision tools can automatically generate alt-text for X-rays, MRIs, and ultrasounds. A chest X-ray might be described as “showing a 3 cm shadow in the lower right lung, possibly indicating pneumonia.” Similarly, speech recognition models tailored to atypical speech patterns that are common in conditions like Parkinson’s disease are improving transcription accuracy, ensuring patients’ voices are accurately captured during virtual visits.</p><h4>3.    Reducing Administrative Burdens.</h4><p>Clinicians in LTPAC settings spend significant time on documentation, diverting attention from patient care. AI scribes trained on diverse datasets can automate visit summaries, flagging urgent needs like a nonverbal patient’s gestures signalling pain. Facilities piloting these tools report a 30 percent reduction in charting time, allowing staff to prioritize direct interactions with residents.</p><h3>Navigating Ethical Challenges</h3><p>While AI holds immense promise, its implementation requires careful consideration of ethical risks. Many speech recognition systems struggle with accents or speech impairments, leading to errors that disproportionately affect patients with disabilities. Training AI models on datasets inclusive of diverse voices including those with speech disorders is essential to prevent bias.</p><p>Privacy is another critical concern. Voice-activated tools and personalized interfaces often require sensitive health data. Developers must ensure compliance with regulations like HIPAA while maintaining transparency about how data is used. For example, AI systems should allow patients to opt out of data collection without losing access to core features.</p><p>Transparency in AI decision-making is equally vital. Patients deserve clear explanations when AI modifies their experience, such as adjusting font sizes for readability or enabling voice navigation.<br></p><h3>Practical Steps for LTPAC Providers</h3><h4>1.    Prioritize Inclusive Design.</h4><p>Involve people with disabilities in the development and testing of AI tools. Feedback from users with lived experience can uncover overlooked barriers, such as the need for customizable interface layouts or alternative input methods like eye-tracking.</p><h4>2.    Train Teams on Accessibility Standards.</h4><p>Equip staff with guidelines to evaluate AI tools, such as checking compatibility with screen readers or testing color contrast ratios for patients with visual impairments. Simple audits can prevent costly redesigns later.</p><h4>3.    Advocate for Supportive Policies.</h4><p>Push for regulatory changes incentivizing accessibility, such as CMS reimbursements for AI tools that demonstrably improve patient outcomes. Collaboration with industry groups can amplify these efforts.</p><h3>The Future of Inclusive Telehealth</h3><p>The next generation of telehealth platforms will rely on adaptive AI systems that learn from user interactions and evolve to meet individual needs. Imagine interfaces that automatically adjust text size for patients with macular degeneration or AI avatars that provide real-time sign language translation during virtual visits.</p><p>However, technology alone cannot solve systemic inequities. Success hinges on a commitment to human-centered design, where accessibility is not an afterthought but a foundational principle. By fostering partnerships between developers, clinicians, and disability communities, the health care industry can ensure AI serves as a true equalizer, empowering every patient to access care with dignity and ease.<br><br><span class="ms-rteStyle-Normal">References</span><br class="ms-rteStyle-Normal"><span class="ms-rteStyle-Normal">•    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Disability and Health Data System.https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s0716-Adult-disability.html</span><br class="ms-rteStyle-Normal"><span class="ms-rteStyle-Normal">•    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2024). Telehealth Accessibility Report.</span><br class="ms-rteStyle-Normal"><span class="ms-rteStyle-Normal">•    World Health Organization. (2023). Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities.</span><br class="ms-rteStyle-Normal"><span class="ms-rteStyle-Normal">•    Journal of Medical Systems. (2024). AI Applications in Medical Imaging Accessibility.</span><br class="ms-rteStyle-Normal"><span class="ms-rteStyle-Normal">•    HIPAA Journal. (2023). Ensuring Compliance in AI-Driven Health care Tools.</span><br class="ms-rteStyle-Normal"><span class="ms-rteStyle-Normal">•    Google. (2023). Project Guideline: Open-Source AI for Accessibility.</span><br class="ms-rteStyle-Normal"><span class="ms-rteStyle-Normal">•    Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2024). Health IT Accessibility Standards Update.</span><br class="ms-rteStyle-Normal"><span class="ms-rteStyle-Normal">•    Health Affairs. (2023). Overcoming Telehealth Barriers for Vulnerable Populations.</span><br class="ms-rteStyle-Normal"><span class="ms-rteStyle-Normal">•    New England Journal of Medicine AI. (2024). Addressing Bias in Health care AI.</span><br class="ms-rteStyle-Normal"><span class="ms-rteStyle-Normal">•    W3C. (2024). Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2.</span><br><br><em><img src="/Articles/PublishingImages/2025/Aashim%20Upadhaya.jpg" class="ms-rtePosition-1" alt="" style="margin:5px;width:175px;height:175px;" />Ashim Upadhaya is a software engineer with over eight years of experience in full-stack development, specializing in building accessible and high-performance user interfaces and backend systems to ensure compliance with WCAG 2.0 and A11Y standards. His work focuses on creating inclusive digital health solutions that make wellness programs accessible to all users, including older adults and individuals with disabilities. Contact Ashim on LinkedIn at </em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashimupadhaya/" data-feathr-click-track="true" data-feathr-link-aids="60b7cbf17788425491b2d083" target="_blank"><em>https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashimupadhaya/</em></a><em>.</em><br></p> | 2025-05-01T04:00:00Z | <img alt="© <a href='https://www.123rf.com/profile_rawpixel'>rawpixel</a>, <a href='https://www.123rf.com/free-images/'>123RF Free Images<" src="/Articles/PublishingImages/2025/senior_telehealth.jpg" style="BORDER:0px solid;" /> | Technology;Telemedicine | Aashim Upadhaya | Complex interfaces, poorly designed tools, and a lack of adaptability exclude those who need telehealth the most. Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to change this narrative by powering solutions that prioritize accessibility. |