24/7 access to a personal health assistant? There’s an app for that

A partnership between Mayo Clinic and Better, a Calif.-based startup, gives consumers 24/7 access to a personal health assistant through a smartphone for $49.99 per month.

To utilize the service, consumers download the app and enter individual and health information to start a Better membership. This information is used to deliver personalized health information from Mayo Clinic at no cost based on that individual’s health interests and medical history, according to an announcement on the partnership.  

The app also features a "symptom checker" so a member can research a specific issue and receive suggestions on what to do to get better. The app can link a member to a Better Personal Health Assistant, or a trained health professional, who can connect the patient to a Mayo Clinic nurse or set up an appointment with an existing physician if needed.

"People consistently tell us they want more convenient access to Mayo Clinic knowledge. We collaborated with and invested in Better to create a powerful way for people to connect with Mayo Clinic in their homes and communities, wherever they are," said Paul Limburg, MD, medical director of Mayo Clinic Global Business Solutions, in a statement.