The Mayo Clinic is teaming with a Silicon Valley-based start-up to deliver branded healthcare content and access to a nurse or "personal health assistant" via mobile device.
The Rochester, Minn.-based health network announced on April 16 that it is teaming up with Better, a consumer health start-up, to launch the app. With the app a user can download personal and family health information to start a membership service, through which the Mayo Clinic will deliver personalized health information and a tailored "symptom checker."
Users can also pay to upgrade their account to connect at any time with a Better Personal Health Assistant, a trained health professional who can answer questions, help in scheduling doctor's appointments or connect with a May Clinic nurse.
The partnership marks a growing mHealth trend in which health systems push their own content and resources through mobile apps, banking on name brand recognition to attract consumers and promote patient engagement.
Mayo Clinic, for its part, claims the collaboration and investment it made in Better will enable it to "extend expertise to people anywhere," Paul Limburg, MD, medical director of Mayo Clinic Global Business Solutions said in a news release, adding that it intends to "create a powerful way for people to connect with Mayo Clinic in their homes and communities, wherever they are."
Geoff Clapp, Palo Alto, Calif.-based Better's co-founder and chief executive officer added that the collaboration combines technology and people to help patients navigate a complex healthcare system, "from finding the right doctor after a job change, to managing your child's symptoms in the middle of the night, to getting the most value out of your healthcare plan."
Mayo Clinic officials say the core membership, which provides tailored health information, is free of charge, and the app can be downloaded from the Apple App Store. To get immediate access to a Better Personal Health Assistant, users need to upgrade to a premium membership, which costs $49.99 per month.
"All too often, people struggle to find good answers when it comes to getting great care," Clapp added.
