Tech Salon

Meducation.com was started as an NIH funded project to improve medication instructions for patients with limited English proficiency. Initially funded through the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities through their SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research) grant program as a tool for pharmacists for use at drug stores, this project has evolved to incorporate use by physicians, nurses, and pharmacists in every potential medication encounter. With Meducation.com, health care professional can now provide language specific medication instructions to their patients, providing both written and verbal instructions, as well as visual demonstrations for proper medication techniques for their patients. There were many technological and linguistic challenges to developing this technology as well as creating a business model to sustain ongoing efforts and making this resource readily available to both professionals and patients. Changing routine workflow with new, disruptive technologies is always a difficult challenge to overcome in any healthcare setting. Identifying and educating users of the benefits of such technology is important. But incorporating simplicity of use is just as important. There are virtually unlimited potential uses for technology in improving communication with limited English proficient and low health literate patients. We shouldn't be scared of technology but rather embrace it as part of a comprehensive solution to scale our limited language resources by sharing our knowledge through cost effective use of technology. Areas of future capabilities for Meducation.com will be discussed during the presentation.