San Diego-based Dexcom’s G6 mobile app in Spanish has been made available immediately for users with a compatible iOS (v1.10.1) or Android (v1.10.0) smart device.
The company said in a news release that diabetes disproportionately impacts Latinos. As of 2022, it is estimated that 11.8% of U.S. Latino adults have diagnosed diabetes, according to Diabetes.org. The CDC estimates that U.S. Latino adults have more than a 50% chance of developing type 2 diabetes, with a greater risk of complications.
“With a myriad of studies that point to language barriers in healthcare leading to miscommunication between patients and healthcare providers and a decrease in quality of care and patient safety, it’s important to provide access to diabetes information in a patient’s preferred language to improve health outcomes,” said Ana-Mari Calleja Carr, district business manager at Dexcom representing the South Florida region. “Launching the Dexcom G6 app in Spanish is a positive step toward improving health equity for individuals with diabetes who primarily speak Spanish.”
Users can install the latest version of their app and set their compatible smartphone language to Spanish (any dialect/region) to access the G6 mobile app in Spanish. The app will automatically display in Spanish as long as the phone language is set to Spanish.
“Being able to offer this powerful CGM technology to my Spanish-speaking patients in their preferred language can help them better understand their diabetes and be more proactive about managing their health,” said Dr. Rocio Harbison, an endocrinologist who treats a large Spanish-speaking population. “CGM technology is one of the most powerful tools available for managing diabetes and this new development from Dexcom will help improve access for Spanish-speaking people who often have to navigate their health with limited Spanish-language tools.”
Dexcom’s G6, its current-generation CGM device, uses a small, wearable sensor and transmitter to continuously measure and send glucose levels wirelessly to a compatible smart device or receiver. It provides real-time glucose data, eliminating the need for fingersticks while also offering customizable alerts and alarms to help avoid potentially dangerous low and high blood sugar events.
The company said its Dexcom Follow app — an app that allows up to 10 people follow a user’s glucose data — is not immediately available in Spanish but the functionality will be added in a future product update.
