Improving Access and Communication for Patients With Disabilities

New York City Health and Hospitals (H+H) is the largest public health delivery system in America, providing services to over one million patients annually. In New York City, nearly 189,000 individuals experience deafness, 200,000 have vision difficulties, and 335,000 have cognitive difficulties. Given the diverse population that H+H serves, its Office of Diversity and Inclusion enlisted the Capstone team to identify and implement best practices to improve the quality and access of care for patients with disabilities. The team interviewed clinicians and advocacy groups, created a comprehensive literature review, worked closely with the Mayor’s Office for Patients with Disabilities to design an advocate listening session, and rolled out surveys to H+H providers and patient advocates. The team incorporated its findings—including patient experience and best practices—into a toolkit encompassing a glossary and proper etiquette guide for H+H providers’ use.