Cedars-Sinai expanding virtual care app to children, Spanish speakers

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Cedars-Sinai is expanding virtual healthcare for children and Spanish speakers in California through its mobile app, Cedars-Sinai Connect, which allows patients to access healthcare professionals for acute, chronic and preventive care.

Parents of children 3- to-17-years-old can now access Cedars-Sinai healthcare providers for urgent issues, including cough, cold, flu or rash. Parents can choose on-demand visits 24/7 or a scheduled visit 7 a.m.-9 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekends for their sick child.

Meanwhile, a child's existing pediatrician is kept in the loop through the Cedars-Sinai electronic health record.

And for the first time, Spanish-speaking adults and parents of children 3 and older can now choose a Spanish-language app experience, with Spanish-speaking healthcare providers available at the same times as other providers through the app. Translators can support patients seeking on-demand care 24/7 if a Spanish-speaking provider is not available.

Spanish-speaking adults can access primary care in their preferred language to manage chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure, anxiety, depression and obesity, said Cedars-Sinai.

WHAT'S THE IMPACT?

Since Cedars-Sinai Connect first launched last fall, it has helped more than 8,000 patients from San Diego to Sacramento access Cedars-Sinai care through more than 10,500 virtual visits, the organization said.

The app harnesses AI technology developed by K Health to reduce administrative burdens such as data entry, freeing doctors to focus more time on patient care. K Health helps patients manage their acute, chronic and preventive care needs through its platform.

"Cedars-Sinai Connect is one of the first integrated clinical care apps of its kind that is successfully using technology and care model innovation to address significant pain points – particularly access and quality – in healthcare in the U.S.," said Ran Shaul, cofounder and chief product officer of K Health. "By combining K Health's virtual care model with Cedars-Sinai's high-quality clinical care, our partnership gives Cedars-Sinai greater digital capability while expanding access to expert care across California."

Jill Martin, executive vice president of Cedars-Sinai Medical Network, added that with pediatric care and Spanish-speaking doctors now available, "Cedars-Sinai Connect is furthering our collective goals of tying together in-person and virtual care, reducing wait times and addressing primary care needs for as many Californians as possible, helping Cedars-Sinai advance health equity."

THE LARGER TREND

This isn't Cedars-Sinai's first foray into digital technology. In 2022 it developed an artificial intelligence technology designed to make it easier to predict whether someone will have a heart attack.

The tool accurately predicted which patients would experience a heart attack in five years based on the amount and composition of plaque in arteries that supply blood to the heart.

Anna Schoenbaum, VP of information services applications at Penn Medicine, said at the HIMSS23 global conference in Chicago last year that regulatory changes will improve the reach of technology in improving health outcomes.

"Technology really has a potential to improve health outcomes, and where we've seen the impact is in telehealth and mobile health applications," she said. "We need to encourage healthcare providers to adapt to this new way of delivering care."

Jeff Lagasse is editor of Healthcare Finance News.
Email: [email protected]
Healthcare Finance News is a HIMSS Media publication.