University of Iowa launches nation’s first Spanish virtual health care clinic

IOWA CITY - 'Cuidado de salud cuando lo necesite” greets visitors to University of Iowa Health Care's new - and first of its kind - Spanish-language 24-hour virtual health care clinic at UIeSalud.com.

In English, that's 'health care when you need it,” but officials say the service is more than that. It's health care for those who need it, where they need, in the format they need it.

'This is a really important part of what UI Health Care needs to represent because the Spanish-speaking population is the fastest-growing demographic in Iowa,” said Patrick Brophy, medical director and assistant vice president for UI's eHealth and eNovation Center.

UIeSalud.com complements the university's new English-language online clinic for minor illnesses and injuries at UIeCare.com. The launch this week makes it the first Spanish-based virtual care clinic in the nation, Brophy said.

Officials on May 28 launched UIeCare.com in hopes of saving patients time and money, improving convenience, and providing access to health care during off hours. But, Brophy said, making the service available in Spanish was key to ensuring its relevance and accessibility across Iowa as demographics continue to shift.

The estimated Latino population in Iowa as of July 1, 2013, was 168,806, constituting 5.5 percent of the state's total population and making it Iowa's largest racial or ethnic minority, according to the State Data Center of Iowa. Between 2000 and 2013, Iowa's Latino population more than doubled, and experts predict it will make up 12.4 percent of the Iowa populace by July 1, 2040, according to the state data.

Brophy said Iowa's Latino population tends to be more digitally-oriented and younger, and he expects that to persist - statewide data show Latinos have a higher concentration of preschoolers than any other racial or ethnic group. Many also are based in more rural areas with limited access to medical care, Brophy said.

'We wanted to make sure that, as a growing demographic and an active population, we are serving them as well,” he said.

Both UIeCare.com and UIeSalud.com can be accessed any day at any time by anyone in Iowa via computer, tablet, or smartphone. The university is planning to release a mobile application for Apple devices in coming weeks.

Users don't have to be UI patients to see a health care provider through its virtual clinic for things like congestion, cough, bug bites, rash, flu-like symptoms, sore throat, and vomiting. As part of the login process, users must answer screening questions to ensure virtual care is appropriate - they could be referred to a clinic or the emergency room for more urgent conditions.

Once approved, users meet virtually with UI-credentialed providers who ask about symptoms, make diagnoses, and possibly prescribe medicine. The university is contracting with Seattle-based Carena Inc. to provide the service, and although none of its virtual health care professionals are based in Iowa, Brophy said, that soon will change.

'We have someone in the area who is our first hire, and we have been interviewing others,” he said.

UIeSalud.com has two Spanish-speaking practitioners, and a translator could be made available if both are busy with other patients, Brophy said.

The system requires an Internet connection and a web camera, and each visit costs $50. Patients insured by Medicare and Medicaid are not eligible for virtual health care due to federal restrictions, and the UI doesn't bill insurance providers - although officials said receipts can be submitted for potential reimbursement or for coverage through flexible spending accounts.