Many uninsured or low-income individuals face complex life situations that make establishing routine care and addressing their social needs extremely difficult. Setting these individuals up with experienced case managers or social workers often helps, but there are many instances when the healthcare team loses total contact with a patient and their family. Whether their phone got disconnected, their housing arrangments changed, or they had to follow a job or work, all of these barriers prevent individuals from receiving the health care and community resources that many of us take for granted.
Many new and existing IT companies are working on developing platforms that integrate care among a multidisciplinary team of providers. These apps and websites bridge the communication barrier between healthcare professionals and social workers to manage a patient's social needs as well as their healthcare. But many of these apps, platforms, and websites are either a) inaccessible to underserved/low-income populations, b) not mindful of health literacy, c) not available in multiple languages or d) do not have a channel for individuals to be involved in their care management.