When you hear the word “startup,” you likely don’t associate it with healthcare. Rather, the visualization of a startup tends to be a business-oriented organization that focuses on growth and revenue within a specific niche, rather than something that has the power to change the healthcare system.
Healthcare startups have the same founding principles as other startups: streamlining scheduling through Humanity, using a remotely connected world to find the best and brightest, and offering things that stand out from the competition.
Here are some of the incredible healthcare startups that have the potential to change the world as we know it.
Outcome Based Healthcare
In many circles, conversations about preventative medicine and a holistic approach have long been a hot topic of conversation. After all, modern healthcare is built to treat symptoms rather than root causes. Medical professionals offer blood pressure medication with a vague order to eat better and exercise more, using only a few diagnostics to track progress.
Outcome Based Healthcare looks to change this approach and fill in the gaps left by common medical procedures. This innovative startup looks at using data sourced from tracking apps, like a Fitbit, to get a better view of what’s happening in a patient’s life between appointments. This approach also gives physicians a more accurate picture of what’s happening outside of the office walls, as patients will often fudge the truth about their physical activity levels, whether intentionally or not.
The Outcome Based Healthcare platform is currently undergoing testing in a clinical setting and promises to show in-depth tracking that can identify how certain treatment protocols are impacting a patient’s life overall.
Lysa Health
Lysa Health could work wonders when combined with Outcome Based Healthcare. Like the popular food tracking apps that are currently available, Lysa Health allows you to track your food and input what you ate to calculate your daily calorie intake and expenditure. Unlike the other apps, Lysa Health acts as a virtual nutritionist and can help you make better decisions.
Unlike other food tracking apps, this one uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze what you’re inputting and make suggestions to improve your choices and adherence. It can also help you find the best option on a menu, based on your goals and needs. The AI is advanced enough to understand you when you say “I had a bowl of Cheerios” as it uses standard measurements and doesn’t require you to measure everything.
All of this is delivered in a conversational approach. You will feel as though you’re instant messaging a human rather than a robot, which is both incredible and slightly terrifying due to its complexity.
Modern Fertility
Facing fertility issues can be one of life’s biggest challenges for those involved. It can impact your physical and mental health, self-perception, and relationship with your partner. Seeing a fertility specialist is a costly endeavor and can be hard to admit for fear of judgment.
Modern Fertility keeps those challenges in mind with its at-home fertility testing kit. This kit is delivered right to your door, costing under $200 in comparison to the thousands of dollars charged for an in-office visit with a specialist. Even women who aren’t ready to have children but are concerned about their “fertility window” closing as they age tend to gravitate toward this testing method.
The testing is done in the privacy of one’s home, then mailed to the lab to get results. It covers everything from hormones to egg count and highlights any red flags in an easy-to-understand, educational manner.
These are just a few of the innovative healthcare startups that have the potential to change the world. As none of these existed five years ago, it’s exciting to consider what the next five years might bring.