FILE - The University of Utah Health Orthopedic Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022. (Ben B. Braun/Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY – As the population of Spanish-speaking residents grows in the state, University of Utah Health has adapted its MyChart app to also cater to their patients. U of U Health is now the first major healthcare network in the state to offer a Spanish-language portal.
Dr. Jose Morales, a pediatrician with U of U Health, told KSL NewsRadio in an email that he knows this will make accessing healthcare easier for his Spanish-speaking patients.
“I know from experience that many of my Spanish speaking patients have historically not used MyChart simply because it was not accessible in Spanish,” said Morales.
Morales said it’s important for Spanish-speaking patients to also have access to the app because of what it provides.
“This app allows patients to have all of their medical information in one easy to access place. It makes it much easier to make appointments, receive messages, look at active medications, look at lab results, pay bills, and request medication refills,” said Morales
According to Morales, Spanish-speaking patients face barriers that can make healthcare feel like a daunting task.
“The inability to easily communicate within a mainly English-speaking medical system can make seemingly simple tasks much more complicated. For example: coordinating medical appointments and calling to obtain refills for medications, particularly if you have multiple medical problems, can require waiting on the phone line for an interpreter and potentially having to call multiple times,” said Morales.
But the app can now simplify this process for users.
“Having MyChart available in Spanish allows the patient to make the appointments and request refills simply by using the app in a language that they understand. This is one example, but many others exist,” said Morales.
MyChart allows patients to be “active participants” in their own care. Morales said this means defining health goals for treatment alongside your providers. Spanish-speaking patients at U of U Health now have that opportunity.
“Being actively involved means you have more control over your health and the decisions that relate to it. I think the more in control and knowledgeable you are about your health, the more likely you are to live a healthier life,” said Morales.