Despite the US healthcare system being among the most inefficient in the world, healthcare more generally remains un-disrupted by the tech industry.
Though technology has allowed for many medical advances and the future of medical tech is exciting, it’s been awhile since technology has impacted the way patients conceptualize and interact with healthcare at its most fundamental levels.
Kaigo Health is one such company ready to make a dent in answering the question: How can technology change consumer healthcare? The company was built from the assumption, which I’m sure many of us find to be true, that the healthcare system can be difficult to navigate.
You set up a profile and can consult with doctors online, to then be advised and directed as necessary to the relevant practitioners. The company has built up a network of 3,500 doctors spanning 38 major cities in 13 states.
Uzochukwu Chima, CEO and Founder at Kaigo Health
“I have experienced the long waiting hours, the lack of empathy from doctors, and long insurance authorization periods. I knew there had to be a different method that could work better and improve this experience for everyone,” says Uzochukwu Chima, Kaigo Health Founder and CEO.
But Kaigo goes further than just better enabling you to navigate the current system. When you first setup your profile you can choose your own personal healthcare team, replete with Personal Care Assistant (PCA).
“Our PCAs take care of the hard stuff like finding the specialists, booking appointments, and dealing with the agony of insurance companies, therefore providing you with a better health-life balance,” says Chima.
The aim here is convenience, and that aim is extended further still. When you hit “Get Started” and enter your details you also set the goals you want to achieve, whatever they might be, and then enter information like your vital signs into the app, letting it take care of the rest. Once you’ve reached the goals you want to achieve the app then enters maintenance mode continually tracking your health and keeping you on the straight and narrow.
This is more than clever robots to improve the current system. Starting at $45/month you can have an app on your phone which keeps you in touch with your health. So you’re not just engaging with the healthcare system when something arises, but constantly iterating on your behaviour to keep your health where it needs to be. Thus reducing your chances of having to engage with the healthcare system more intimately in the first place. But should you need to the app will make that less stressful as well.
Tell me you don’t see this in the future of the industry?
