- Almost half of US Latinos point to communication problems as a contributor to poorer health outcomes relative to other patient populations
- Language factors also contribute to Latinos avoiding preventative care, delaying progress towards true health equity and increased healthcare accessibility
Nabla, the leading Ambient AI assistant for practitioners, announced usage metrics of its recently launched Spanish language option for its Copilot ambient note generator. As the first AI scribe to deploy Spanish translation functionality in July 2023, Nabla experienced rapid adoption among clinicians across all medical specialties, especially with psychiatrists, psychologists, and psychotherapists, who account for almost 50% of total users. Within the first four months of implementation, 10% of Nabla clinicians are using Spanish language to support culturally responsive care.
Nearly a third of US Latinos are not fluent in English, posing a unique challenge for healthcare professionals. Struggles to communicate effectively create a perception of poor care and diminished health outcomes while sowing confusion, frustration, and distrust. Physicians with high levels of Spanish proficiency are better able to address concerns, explain health conditions, and empower patients, allowing more responsive care and superior care quality. With 81% of Spanish language-dominant adults preferring to see a Spanish-speaking provider, physicians must find culturally responsive methods for serving the Latino community.
“Millions of Americans forgo receiving health care due to language barriers, and the situation will grow more dire if nothing is done,” said Dr. Megan Mahoney, Professor and Chair at UCSF Department of Family and Community Medicine and Nabla advisory board member. “Nabla has stepped up to close the gap in care with its Spanish language version ambient AI. It is extremely user-friendly and intuitive to use so that doctors can deliver the best care possible for their non-English speaking patients.”
With Nabla Copilot, physicians can focus on caring for their Spanish-speaking patients while Nabla’s generative AI ambiently produces comprehensive clinical notes in real-time in the background. The Spanish language option within Nabla Copilot is simple to switch on. Practitioners simply choose “Spanish” before the start of a consultation to indicate the language in which it will take place, and Copilot uses its powerful ambient AI to create detailed clinical notes in English and patient instructions in Spanish during consultations with Spanish-speaking patients.
The Spanish language represents up to 14% of Nabla physician consultation notes in some states, including California and Florida. Nabla helps doctors provide better care for Spanish-speaking patients by shifting attention away from onerous manual documentation. Based on user trends and the most spoken languages in the US, Nabla plans to expand its language versions in 2024, including Mandarin, Russian and Arabic.
“By enabling physicians to focus on patient communication and care rather than clinical notes, we hope to strengthen the relationships between Latino patients and their doctors while minimizing physician burnout,” said Alex Lebrun, Co-Founder and CEO, Nabla. “In a multicultural country like the United States, it’s so important to meet patients where they are. That means using AI to embrace different languages and cultures in healthcare settings, moving us closer to achieving true health equity.”
Built by ex-Facebook AI Research engineers and backed by iPod inventor Tony Fadell and AI godfather Yann LeCun, Nabla uses proprietary technology and data from large language models like GPT-4, as well as feedback from its quickly-expanding network of clinicians, to organize subjective, objective, assessment, and plan (SOAP) notes. Nabla does not store data, complying with the highest levels of confidentiality and privacy regulations. Available on mobile, desktop, and API, Nabla’s AI innovations continually improve its user experience, resulting in better care for patients across diverse populations while alleviating physician burnout.