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Disruption in Scheduling of Medical Appointments Saves Lives

Robert Parada - COCO Tecnologías
CEO

STORY INLINE POST

Sofía Garduño By Sofía Garduño | Journalist & Industry Analyst - Fri, 02/10/2023 - 09:32

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Q: The pandemic accelerated the growth of healthtech solutions. How is COCO Tecnologías disrupting this market?

A: The pandemic accelerated innovation across all industries, as any economic or social crisis calls for new solutions. Some companies take advantage of crises while others collapse under pressure. We decided to capitalize on this opportunity. Before the pandemic, COCO scheduled face-to-face medical appointments, so we feared bankruptcy during the pandemic. Fortunately, we found in telemedicine an opportunity to guarantee meetings between patients and health professionals, allowing us to sustain ourselves. We then created automated software to schedule appointments for COVID-19 vaccination, which helped us to grow exponentially. We continue to focus on offering the best technology to dignify access to health.

Q: What opportunities are helping to strengthen the company’s presence in Mexico?

A: The opportunities for growth are endless thanks to Mexico’s large population and the needs of its health system. Mexico is below the global average for doctors per inhabitant, according to WHO. The country needs more doctors and to make its processes more efficient. We contribute to the latter. For example, by optimizing the scheduling of 10 clinics, we have the same impact as if we had opened three new clinics.

In 2022, IMSS' La Raza General Hospital was struggling because it could not deliver the necessary medical appointments. Patients had trouble scheduling their appointment and making time for it. We used technology to transform this situation and make care more humane and accessible. People do not die because they are sick, people die because they do not receive timely care.

We, as technology experts, have the potential to help doctors, clinics and hospitals leap toward digitization. Medical facilities want to improve their processes and allow their patients to use this technology. Mexico is open to technology and has the necessary connectivity to enable the use of our technology on mobile devices.

Q: How receptive have the public and private sectors been to your solution?

A: We have had a good reception and 97% of new clients stay with us. The public sector needs us the most because it has fewer resources but working with the private sector is faster because it involves less bureaucracy. We will continue working with public contracts, so our service reaches more people.

Q: How are you transforming this technology to offer a human touch?

A: Humanizing technology is highly popular, and our bots aim to offer a warm tone, specifically in Mexico where clients are used to the friendly treatment. There are things that technology will never be able to do, such as providing a medical consultation. For this reason, we do not try to replace what is not replaceable, we only seek to make the process more efficient.

Q: What is the added value of the Appointment Assistant service bot? 

A: We aim to have a close relationship with patients. Patients with chronic diseases like diabetes require constant checkups and our virtual assistant can help in this process. This bot can remind the patient of their next check-up. Alerts can also be tailored to the specific needs of each patient, allowing us to be closer to them while generating data in real-time.

Q: What are your main objectives for 2023?

A: We are implementing the Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) methodology. Our main goal is to become the top platform in Latin America while increasing access to health services. We aim to have 40 million transactions in 2023, which is equivalent to 3.3 million transactions each month. We want to retain clients thanks to our quality services and increase our client base in Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Mexico by continuing to develop more services to integrate all the patient journey. We will also guarantee internal and external quality and safety, so patients continue to trust us with their data.  

Mexico needs to start working differently because it has great potential, resources, and allies. However, the country needs a systematic reform to improve its healthcare. We want to provide technology but that alone will not be enough; we will need to work jointly with universities, companies and governments to implement initiatives based on successful global experiences. Mexico must start improving access to healthcare and increase efficiency and coverage to save more lives.

 

COCO Tecnologías is a healthtech company that transforms the way clinics interact with patients, maximizing revenue and improving the user experience through an AI agenda that includes chatbots, self-management and telemedicine.

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