Catarina Andrade, a resident of Corvo Island, had long faced a challenge familiar to many people living in the Azores: access to health care options was extremely limited. Determined to help change that reality, she partnered with a colleague to create Welline Clinic, a fully online medical platform designed to make health consultations more accessible and practical. In an interview with Atlântico Expresso, Andrade explains how the clinic works, the challenges it faces, how it helps combat certain social stigmas, and what kinds of consultations it offers.

Atlântico Expresso – How did the idea for the clinic come about?

Catarina Andrade (co-founder of Welline Clinic) – The idea came from my own experience as a resident of Corvo and from living with the constant limitation of not having access to certain types of medical care.

Corvo, like most islands in the Azores, is limited to what local health centers can provide: usually a doctor, a nurse, a dentist, or a psychologist. For anything beyond that, we must travel. That means additional costs either for the Regional Government or for us personally if we seek private care. Even when using the Regional Health Service, it can take a long time to receive a response.

Yet today it is entirely possible to conduct many medical consultations online. Numerous studies show that the benefits can be comparable to an in-person visit, depending on the type of consultation. Obviously, some services—such as physiotherapy—cannot be done online. But the idea behind the clinic was precisely this: to try to offer a solution to a recurring problem, especially for those of us living on islands that suffer the most from limited medical resources. And I’m not just talking about treatment, but also about prevention, which is increasingly important in health care.

What areas of care does the clinic currently offer?

At the moment, in the medical area we provide general consultations, with specialists in family medicine and internal medicine. We want to expand the range of specialties, but we are facing the same reality that exists across Portugal: a shortage of specialists, both in the Regional Health Service and in the national system.

Because we are a private company and still at an early stage, we also feel that difficulty.

In the mental health field, we have a psychology team covering patients from ages 8 to 80, including child, adolescent, adult, and elderly psychology, addressing the various issues that arise at each stage of life.

We also offer clinical nutrition, sports nutrition, aesthetic nutrition, and pregnancy-related nutrition.

In addition, we created a Wellness section, where we offer online yoga and Pilates classes, as well as coaching—an area that has gained a great deal of attention recently. We provide personal coaching, professional coaching, and kids coaching, aimed at school communities and parents whose children may be experiencing learning difficulties or issues such as bullying.

These are the services currently available, but we are planning to expand.

What partnerships made the clinic possible?

We received support through the PRR program, specifically through the UDE – Digital Business Upgrade initiative.

My partner, Mário Conde, who manages training companies, is the clinic’s financial director. I oversaw the development of the clinic itself together with an information technology company that partnered with us.

We also have a marketing partner that manages our social media and already works with me at SAZOREA.

How many people have already used the clinic?

In the beginning, we believe it is essential to earn people’s trust, especially because we are dealing with health care. People need to feel comfortable and confident in our services. For that reason, we made sure that anyone visiting our website can see the members of our team and choose the professional they feel best suits them, rather than simply being assigned a doctor by a system.

Within the first week, we already had the first consultations booked, mostly in the mental health area. That aligns with statistics showing that at the start of the year there is often an increase in depression and anxiety. Many people feel discouraged after not achieving their goals during the previous year, and mental health services often see seasonal demand.

We have already noticed that trend in our data.

For example, at one point there were 429 people simultaneously viewing the website, and we have had more than 9,600 visits. Most visitors are from Ponta Delgada, Porto, and Lisbon. The most requested consultations are psychology, followed by general medical consultations and nutrition. Most of the consultations booked so far have been from residents of Flores Island.

Unfortunately, there is still a widespread misconception that anyone who sees a psychologist must have a serious mental illness. That is not true. Many conditions can be prevented or managed early through therapy before they become severe clinical problems that might even require hospitalization.

In small islands, going to a doctor or a health center can also raise concerns about privacy. People might see someone they know in the waiting room or working at the clinic and worry about what others might say. This stigma can be even stronger in small communities.

With an online consultation, people not only have convenience but also greater privacy, because no one sees them entering a clinic or waiting room.

As society becomes more digital, can online care help increase access to consultations?

Going to a traditional appointment involves logistics—traveling, finding parking, sitting in a waiting room, sometimes for hours. And, as mentioned earlier, there is also the fear of being seen and judged.

This can happen even on São Miguel, the largest island, where people often know one another. In smaller islands, the situation is even more pronounced.

In some cases, this stigma can reach a point where people neglect their health simply to avoid speculation or judgment.

Online consultations from home make everything more comfortable, accessible, practical, and affordable. Because the clinic does not have the expenses of a physical facility, our costs are lower. All we need is a server and a digital platform, which is far less expensive than maintaining a physical office. That allows us to reduce the cost of access to care.

Since the pandemic, the benefits of digital services have become increasingly evident.

How much does a consultation cost?

It depends on the type of service.

A psychology consultation costs about €50 on average. In many clinics the price is at least €60 and sometimes as high as €90.

Our general medical consultations are priced similarly, and nutrition consultations are also around that range, although sports nutrition, which is more specialized, costs about €80.

These prices are generally more affordable than those at most clinics. These are base prices without insurance coverage. If patients have health insurance, they may receive discounts or reimbursements.

Is this service available to everyone?

As I mentioned earlier, the clinic was created primarily to address a problem in the Azores. But because we operate online, we cannot control how far our reach extends. If someone on mainland Portugal identifies with our team and approach, they are welcome to schedule a consultation.

When someone checks out on the website, there is no requirement to indicate where they live.

Our goal is to provide a solution for Azoreans, but everyone is welcome.

You are also CEO of SAZOREA, which has been growing steadily. Is it difficult to manage both projects?

If I said it was easy, I would be lying.

The two companies are at different stages and require different things from me, so it demands a great deal of organization.

The most challenging part of the clinic was the implementation phase, especially the regulatory registrations with the national health authority. Just because the clinic operates online does not mean we have fewer legal obligations than a physical clinic.

That phase required a great deal of work. Now that the clinic is operational, the online format allows us to automate many processes—such as appointment scheduling. The challenge now is to establish the clinic as a trusted reference in digital health care and help it grow.

How long does it usually take to get an appointment?

We depend on the availability of each professional because we still do not have anyone working exclusively for the platform. They provide services independently.

Even so, we have had consultations scheduled one afternoon and carried out the following morning.

When booking, patients can choose the professional they prefer and see that person’s availability. After payment, they receive a link by email to access the consultation.

Some professionals send a questionnaire beforehand to learn about the patient’s history so they can prepare for the consultation. In those cases, the questionnaire is sent directly to the doctor. Much of the process is automated.

People can visit the clinic online at www.welline.ai.

Translated into English as a community outreach program by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL), in collaboration with Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno. PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.