New medical language-learning iOS app empowers health systems and providers to deliver better care to diverse patients. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                 

February 21, 2024

New York, NY - February 21, 2024 - Canopy Innovations, Inc., a pioneering digital health company dedicated to overcoming language barriers in healthcare, celebrates International World Mother Language Day by championing linguistic diversity and multilingualism. In a bid to support frontline providers, the company proudly announces the launch of CanopySpeak™ on February 21, 2024, marking another significant stride in its mission to eliminate language barriers in healthcare through innovative, science-driven solutions.

In the United States alone, there are nearly 26 million patients with limited English proficiency (LEP), leading to compromised interactions between healthcare professionals and patients due to logistical challenges and budget constraints associated with securing certified medical interpreters for every encounter. CanopySpeak is designed to empower healthcare systems and providers to engage directly with LEP patients, fostering more compassionate, patient-centered care and enhancing outcomes. Serving as both a mobile medical language learning tool and a clinical practice resource, CanopySpeak equips providers with a comprehensive phrasebook for real patient-clinician interactions, bridging communication gaps when interpreters are unavailable or impractical.

What sets CanopySpeak apart from other language translation tools is its development by a team of expert linguists and clinicians, backed by research and with support from the National Institutes of Health. The app features nearly 5,000 human-reviewed phrases across 10 medical specialties in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese, ensuring a standard of accuracy that caters to millions of patients. Its learning mode offers a customizable experience, enhancing providers’ medical language proficiency through practice exercises that simulate real-world patient scenarios.

Kate Riestenberg, Director of Content & Pedagogy at Canopy Innovations, Inc., explains, “CanopySpeak Premium integrates the latest science in digital language learning and language learning for specific purposes, focusing on communication needs tailored to routine clinical interactions with patients.” She further elaborates, “The app employs a game-based approach to learning medical terminology and developing speaking skills. By breaking down complex phrases into manageable segments and providing ample practice opportunities, CanopySpeak facilitates effective learning through exposure to contextually relevant language use.”

Riestenberg emphasizes, “CanopySpeak's à la carte approach allows users to focus on practicing phrases most relevant to their daily interactions, such as cardiovascular history of present illness or postpartum examination.”

CanopySpeak is a supplement to the #1 medical Spanish course in the US, CanopyLearn, offering a holistic Learn, Practice, and Apply strategy for healthcare systems seeking to address language access gaps and enhance satisfaction among staff and patients. The new app is the capstone product completing Canopy’s Professional Development Bundle, delivering a full-suite of language access and compliance tools for health systems and hospitals.

For a limited time, Canopy is offering complimentary consultation for health systems and medical institutions, as well as free one-month access for individual providers interested in utilizing the tool with their patients.

Interested health systems can book a call with a Canopy team member here.

About Canopy

Canopy Innovations, Inc. is a digital health company that is transforming the way our healthcare system communicates with underserved patients. The language barrier undermines the quality of care for nearly 26 million patients who have Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and creates enormous work and financial constraints for the health delivery organizations that serve them. Empowered by research and development supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Canopy is reimagining the language access problem and delivering proven solutions. Rather than treating language access as a sunk cost-center, Canopy believes that the investment in our innovative technological solutions and professional development for your team will result in long-term, sustainable, solutions that meet the unique challenges of any health system. Visit www.withcanopy.com to learn more.

###

Interested in learning more about CanopySpeak? Enter your information below to speak with a team member today.