Want to get pregnant? There’s an app for that. Looking for a new physician? The information is just a click away. Want to improve your health with the input of your doctor? Pretty soon, you’ll be able to do that from your phone, tablet or computer. Meet Kindara, Healthgrades and Datu, three of many Colorado companies revolutionizing the way patients make healthcare decisions.
These companies are part of a seismic shift that is breaking the old information asymmetry – where doctors had all the information and patients had very little – and using data to give patients an easy way to access key facts and gain knowledge for decisions about health. For these tech-savvy, data-heavy companies, it’s more than just eating kale and wearing a Fitbit. They are transforming three of the most important parts about health: getting the right doctor, making better decisions after a medical diagnosis and gaining control over fertility decisions.
Finding the right match
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Before starting Denver-based Healthgrades, CEO Roger Holstein saw something disturbing. Not only did Americans spend more time researching a new cell phone than they did picking out a doctor or hospital, but finding reliable and impartial information on a doctor’s performance was almost impossible. And in some cases, choosing the right doctor and hospital could be the difference between life and death. This isn’t just hyperbole; according to Holstein, chance of death can vary as much as ten-fold between a one and five star hospital located within five miles of each other. With insurance companies dictating whom we can see (and with little incentive for them to publically rate their own doctors), Holstein saw an opportunity to provide easy access to vital information.
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Enabling better decisions post-diagnosis
[ibimage==26408==Medium==none==self==ibimage_align-left]Keith Dodson, SVP of Boulder-based Datu, was worried about the disconnect between diagnosis and treatment. He witnessed a man being diagnosed with diabetes – a life-threatening but treatable chronic disease – and saw the doctor reach over the bed, grab a pamphlet and hand it to the patient. He knew what would happen next; the patient would go home, google diabetes, find thousands of articles on the topic and most likely be very scared. Without a trusted advisor telling him how to control his disease, the patient is left “hungry for the health system to provide them guidance,” said Dodson. But the chances that a Google search will provide tailored and smart information to his specific case were low. Dodson saw a way to incorporate diagnostic information with personal data to encourage healthier behavior in patients.
Getting pregnant, with the help of your phone
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Kati Bicknell, co-founder of Boulder-based Kindara realized most women didn't know about fertility tracking - even those who were trying to get pregnant - and that basic knowledge about women's bodies was not taught in schools. For women who wanted to get prognant (or for those who wanted to avoid pregnancy), there weren't any easy tools helping women do this naturally. She saw an opportunity to bring personal fertility information into the hands of would-be-moms.
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Colorado’s Impact
Holstein, Dodson and Bicknell weren’t content to let the old guard remain and their products are proof that Colorado is helping to innovate the healthcare system. These three companies saw an opportunity for technology and data to help in healthcare decisions. Kindara’s app, Healthgrade’s website and Datu’s collaboration with healthcare systems are building on the desire for patients to take control. Healthgrade’s Holstein said he thinks the move is more than just a trend; as costs shift from employers to individuals, patients will not only demand more value for their dollar but also get more involved in the decision making process.
If these three Colorado-based companies are any indication, the future of healthcare will incorporate personal data, real-time tracking and help shift the balance of knowledge back to the patient.
