New app brings 24/7 healthcare advice to Latino communities
ConsejoSano mobile app connects documented and undocumented Latinos to healthcare providers who speak Spanish.
ConsejoSano mobile app connects documented and undocumented Latinos to healthcare providers who speak Spanish.
Understanding medical jargon after visiting the doctor is oftentimes no easy task. Add a language barrier, and it becomes even more difficult. That鈥檚 where ConsejoSano is looking to bridge the gap with a new app.
The California-based medical service provider has created a mobile application that allows Spanish-speaking residents of the United States, both documented and undocumented, to have 24-hour access to physicians that assist with non-life-threatening issues.
鈥淲e wanted to make sure our services were high quality, affordable, convenient, and confidential,鈥 says Abner Mason, chief executive officer and founder of ConsejoSano, in a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington on Tuesday.
Mr. Mason added that monthly subscribers would pay $9.99 for an individual and $14.99 for a family of up to five members. 鈥淭his is as close to universal healthcare that you can get with the help of technology,鈥 he says.
Here鈥檚 how it works. Once the application is downloaded, subscribers are able to create a profile with a physician. The physician can then help the virtual patient with either a proper diagnosis or a referral for further review. All physicians are fluent in Spanish.
According to the 2012 Census, one out of every four Latinos is uninsured. This is in comparison to one in ten whites and about one in six blacks being uninsured.听Given those numbers and the enormous amount spend on healthcare in the US, Mason says there is a clear need for this type of innovation.
鈥淲e needed a solution that was proportionate to the size of this problem that Hispanics are facing, this growing population,鈥 says Mason.
Jane Delgado, president of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, says that while her organization provides similar services free of charge, there is always room for more organizations to keep the Hispanic community informed.
鈥淧eople need to hear the message of a healthy lifestyle wherever they can,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an issue of redundancy for it to stick.鈥
Samuel Arce, chairman of the National Hispanic Medical Association, says that with immigration reform at the top of the White House鈥檚 agenda, specialized Hispanic services will be even more relevant.
鈥淚f you have massive reform, you have to take care of the needs of these individuals,鈥 says Dr. Arce. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 mind being productive, but you have to take care of them."
The US Department of Health and Human Services reported that 2.6 million Latinos have gained insurance coverage since the Affordable Care Act鈥檚 first enrollment period closed in March. But even with access to services, Margarita Dilone, president of Crystal Insurance Group, says having a cultural and linguistic connection with a healthcare provider is key.
鈥淲ho else would be more qualified than a doctor who speaks your language and can understand your culture to help you access your medical needs,鈥 she says.
Along with providing access to physicians, ConsejoSano will offer videos, blogs, and articles about wellness. Once a subscriber is enrolled, his or her file will be kept听online听for doctors to review during each interaction.