When language fails, clinical care fails
A patient arrives at a GP clinic or ED unable to communicate in English. The clinician has a protocol to follow and no way to ask it. Phone interpreters take time. Family members may not know clinical vocabulary. The gap between arrival and communication costs minutes that matter - and in chronic disease management, it costs accurate history altogether.
For New Zealand's South Asian communities the stakes are higher still: substantially elevated rates of Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, often developing years earlier than in the general population. Getting history right at first contact matters more, not less.
What MyVaak does
Open myvaak.co.nz on any device. Select the patient's language. MyVaak speaks each clinical question aloud using high-quality human voice recordings, with device text-to-speech as a fallback. The patient nods yes or no. The clinician taps YES or NO. A formatted clinical note builds in real time. No app download, no installation, no patient data sent to any server.
Speaks the question
Human-recorded audio in the patient's language, with text-to-speech fallback. No English reading required.
Yes or No only
A nod is all the patient needs. Binary responses remove the language barrier entirely.
Live clinical note
Structured note builds as you go - ready to print or hand to the treating team.
No app store. No install.
Open a browser, go to myvaak.co.nz. Works on any phone, tablet, or computer.
Zero data retained
No patient data reaches our servers. Session clears when the tab closes.
Any device
Tablet at reception. Link on the patient's phone. Same experience, any screen.
For Clinical teams and PHOs
Under the Health and Disability Commissioner's Code of Rights, every patient has the right to effective communication. MyVaak helps clinical teams meet that obligation in the first minutes of contact - before an interpreter can be arranged.
The clinical and equity case - New Zealand data
GP Clinics and PHOs
Place a tablet at reception with MyVaak open, or send a link to the patient's phone before the appointment. Structured history gathered before the GP enters the room - without a third party in the consultation.
ED and Urgent Care
Built for the acute first-contact window. A triage nurse runs a full ABCDE assessment in under three minutes. Time-stamped clinical note ready for the treating team immediately.
Cardiology, Endocrinology and More
Specialist question modules on the roadmap. South Asian patients carry disproportionate cardiovascular and metabolic disease burden - the settings where structured language access matters most.
Built for Aotearoa's communities
Covering the languages most commonly encountered in NZ general practice - Te Reo Māori, Pacific, South Asian, Southeast Asian, East Asian and Middle Eastern communities. Get in touch if your patient community speaks a language not yet available. Voice volunteers are especially welcome.
Who built MyVaak
The idea for MyVaak came from watching communication fail in clinical settings - a clinician and a patient with no shared language and no tool to bridge the gap. That moment should not exist.
- 11+ years at the Ministry of Social Development - direct service to vulnerable and disabled communities
- 5+ years at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment - accessibility and UX in public services
- 35+ years in Graphic Design, Web Development and UI/UX Design
- CPD Certifications in Social Work Skills, Special Educational Needs, and Disability and Inclusive Practice
Part of the MyMate family
Connecting families, caregivers, and support workers navigating disability and care needs in Aotearoa.
Digital care diary for families supporting someone with a disability, dementia, or chronic illness.
First-contact assessment in the patient's language. Clinician-driven.
Ready to try MyVaak?
No IT sign-off. No installation. Open on any device, select the patient's language, and start immediately. Your first licence runs 13 months for the price of 12, backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Get MyVaak