Key Takeaways:
- Hispanic and Latino adults face higher rates of hypertension than white adults and experience significant disparities in accessing healthcare.
- Benefits leaders have the opportunity to reduce health inequities by prioritizing language accessibility and cultural relevance in their health programs.
- Digital health tools are one way to help Spanish-speaking employees and health plan members manage their heart attack and stroke risk.
Hispanic and Latino people deserve healthy hearts.
Hispanic Heritage Month is an important time to recognize and celebrate the rich diversity of Hispanic and Latino communities. It is also an opportunity to raise awareness around the inequities that Hispanic and Latino people face, especially in healthcare.
These inequities in care can arise from a number of factors, including language barriers, lack of culturally responsive care, and mistrust in medical organizations. Together, they contribute to staggering effects on health outcomes.
Consider the following:
- High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects 33% of Hispanic and Latino adults, compared to only 27.5% of white adults. Hypertension is one of the top risk factors for heart attacks and stroke.
- 60% of Hispanic and Latino adults have faced difficulties communicating with healthcare providers due to language or cultural barriers. Studies also show that patients with limited English proficiency are more likely to report poor provider communication and feel misunderstood during medical visits.
- Due to language barriers, 25 million Spanish speakers receive 33% less healthcare than English speakers. Hispanic Americans are the least likely among racial and ethnic groups to seek medical care.
Changing the healthcare system will take time. But there are actions you can take today to empower your Hispanic and Latino members to take preventive steps to control their hypertension and cardiovascular disease risk.
Digital tools help bridge health inequities
A study highlighted in the American Heart Association’s Hypertension journal suggests that digital tools can support health equity, showing similar improvements in heart health across diverse populations, regardless of primary language, race or ethnicity, and geography.
We’ve also found that our Spanish-speaking Hello Heart users share their data with their doctors 60% more often than English-speaking Hello Heart users, supporting more informed communication and decision-making.
Even better, Hello Heart can help identify opportunities for preventive action—including cardiovascular care, medication changes, or lifestyle-based interventions—that can set people up for heart-healthy futures.
Take, for instance, Hello Heart user Jimmy Ramos, who received treatment for a life-threatening condition his physicians diagnosed after Hello Heart informed him that clinical guidelines recommend he see a doctor:
Everyone deserves to live a heart-healthy life
At Hello Heart, we’re committed to making healthcare accessible to as many people as possible. That's why our entire app and program are available in Spanish—because this growing population of Americans deserves tailored tools to manage their heart disease risk.
By prioritizing language accessibility and culturally relevant health benefits, you can meet the unique health needs of Hispanic and Latino members — and have a broader impact on the health and wellness of your organization.
There’s no health equity without heart health equity. Learn more and request a Hello Heart demo today.
1. Gazit T, Gutman M, Beatty AL. Assessment of Hypertension Control Among Adults Participating in a Mobile Technology Blood Pressure Self-management Program. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(10):e2127008, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.27008. Accessed October 19, 2022. (Some study authors are employed by Hello Heart. Because of the observational nature of the study, causal conclusions cannot be made. See additional important study limitations in the publication. This study showed that 108 participants with baseline blood pressure over 140/90 who had been enrolled in the program for 3 years and had application activity during weeks 148-163 were able to reduce their blood pressure by 21 mmHg using the Hello Heart program.) (2) Livongo Health, Inc. Form S-1 Registration Statement. https:/www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1639225/000119312519185159/d731249ds1.htm. Published June 28, 2019. Accessed October 19, 2022. (In a pilot study that lasted six weeks, individuals starting with a blood pressure of greater than 140/90 mmHg, on average, had a 10 mmHG reduction.) NOTE: This comparison is not based on a head-to-head study, and the difference in results may be due in part to different study protocols.
2. Validation Institute. 2021 Validation Report (Valid Through October 2022). https://validationinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Hello_Heart-Savings-2021- Final.pdf. Published October 2021. Accessed October 19, 2022. (This analysis was commissioned by Hello Heart, which provided a summary report of self-fundedemployer client medical claims data for 203 Hello Heart users and 200 non-users from 2017-2020. Findings have not been subjected to peer review.)
