Identifying preferences and barriers to psychiatric video-telemedicine use among older Latino adults with limited English proficiency during the COVID-19 pandemic

Highlights•What is the primary question addressed by this study? This study explored reasons for the nonuse of video-telemedicine among Latino patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) in a geriatric psychiatry clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic.•What is the main finding of this study? A lack of digital literacy, rather than hardware access or concerns about confidentiality or privacy, was the primary explanation for nonuse of video-telemedicine among these Latino patients with LEP, and especially among those reporting no comfort using English.•What is the meaning of the finding? These findings suggest that a lack of digital literacy and no comfort using English are related factors driving the nonuse of video-telemedicine among this sample of older Latino patients with LEP.ABSTRACTIntroductionThis study explored reasons for the nonuse of video-telemedicine among Latino patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) in a geriatric psychiatry clinic during the COVID-19 pandemic (January to December 2021).MethodsForty-two older Latino patients with LEP who exclusively used audio-telemedicine completed a 33-item survey regarding their reasons for not using video-telemedicine and possible explanatory factors.ResultsThe majority of patients had access to technology and technology assistance from friends and family. Thirty-three patients (79%) reported a lack of technical skills as the main reason for not using video-telemedicine; nine patients (21%) cited other main reasons, including privacy or confidentiality concerns. Patients lacking technical skills were 4.6 times more likely to report no comfort using English compared to patients who cited other reasons.ConclusionA lack of digital literacy and no comfort with English were related factors impacting video-telemedicine use among older Latino patients with LEP during the COVID-19 pandemic.