Interview: Steven Yaskin, CEO of Informedika

Informedika has created a one stop online marketplace for healthcare providers to choose, discover, compare and select lab services, therapy providers and nursing home vendors at the click of a button. They have created a platform that is not only EMR agnostic, but also free to use.

I caught up with CEO, Steven Yaskin to learn more about Informedika. Steven describes the company’s mission as, “We are connecting doctors to healthcare vendors – diagnostic labs, radiology centers, physical therapy trainers, sleep centers, nursing homes, assisted living and many, many more. Doctors are at the top of the food chain in terms of referrals and now all vendors are finally at their fingertips.”

The Informedika marketplace empowers doctors to place electronic orders through an online ecosystem, which eliminates faxes, paperwork and mistakes.

Eliminating paperwork, Informedika shows all patient imaging data.

Informedika has taken a grassroots approach in getting their name out, focusing more on building a strong product than spending money on marketing. So far it’s worked – doctors love the flexibility and transparency that Informedika gives them. As Steven notes, “In healthcare you don’t have adoption by doctors unless you have all the vendors tied to them – local and nationwide labs and services. We have an all-inclusive catalog of pharmacies, sleep centers, labs, etc.  When doctors log into their existing EMR software, they may only see one lab but when they log into Informedika they see all their options.”

All local and nationwide options on one interface for labs.

Steven states that a big problem with healthcare data is that not all the medical record companies are cooperating and a lot of startups become bystander victims because of this. How does Informedika fit smoothly into the healthcare system? “We aren’t relying on doctors and vendors or patients to upload data. Because we sit in the streams of electronic fax data flowing between doctors and labs, we can aggregate that data into medical charts directly. We are EMR agnostic and doctor agnostic. We are creating a patient centric repository, regardless of what software a doctor uses – we don’t compete with EMRs, instead we make their data more robust.”

Basis: Multiple Sensors Track Exercise and Sleep Accurately and Automatically

Basis is a supercharged fitness tracker. The watch uses multiple sensors to track heart rate patterns throughout the day as well as a perspiration and skin temperature changes to measure exertion levels. Basis uses these data points to paint a more exact picture of calories burned and sleep patterns.

I took the watch on a 6 mile run to see how well the tracking worked, and I was impressed. The data is compiled clearly and accurately, so you can monitor your daily activity and make small changes to be more consistent. The online portal compares activity metrics on a double axis so you can see changes in your heart rate compared to calories burned or steps taken.

The beauty in the watch is that there is no need for the user to signal activity changes. As you can see from my data, I took a nap from 5-6:30PM. Other fitness trackers would note this as ‘idle time’ but Basis knows that I fell asleep because it is tracking my heart rate, which dropped and became more steady while I was sleeping. Basis emails me whenever I reach a goal – like running an Afternoon Lap, and it syncs my data via Bluetooth to my iPhone app.

While the watch has a larger face than an UP band or Fitbit, the added sensor functionality gives it additional analytics power. If you are running with a Garmin or Suunto already, you won’t notice the Basis on your wrist. For people who prefer a smaller wearable device, the technology will only get more compact. This is definitely one company to follow.

Thoughts on Healthcare and Life: A Little Self Reflection

Big thanks to Melissa Thompson for sharing my thoughts on healthcare wearables on her blog, Quantified30 and naming Alexisavvy a Best Healthcare Blog.

Here’s a snippet of my interview below. For more, visit Quantified30.

MT: What are the top three devices/apps you consistently wear and use these days? 

“Withings Scale – I really love this scale! I never used to track my weight but I do now – I get on the scale every other morning at the same time and in the same clothes. If I weigh in a little heavier in the morning, I try to eat healthier, drink more water or go for a run that day.

RunKeeper App – I like tracking my runs and I take photos after running to capture the scenery. There is something very rewarding about pulling up my running times and distances for the week. Also, I’m very focused on negative splits and RunKeeper does a great job tracking that and gives other interesting stats about my exercise.

Any wearable tracker I’m writing about – I go through phases where I will wear a tracker for a while before and after I write about it. I think I wore the Fitbit One for a month and the Mistfit Shine for a little longer. I’ve consistently worn the Jawbone UP because I love the way it looks, but as you’ve probably read in my latest post on the Jawbone UP, it still has some issues, as does most wearables. I’m looking forward to the Fitbit Force next!”   

MT: How has writing Alexisavvy for a year and half changed your habits or your life in general?

“When I was a healthcare private equity investor, I was often asked by friends for my opinion on which wearables I liked best, or what cool consumer health app I would invest in. And honestly, I couldn’t really give them an answer because in my day job I was looking to invest in pharmaceutical companies and lab businesses, not consumer health tech companies. So Alexisavvy.com was born – and yes, it’s definitely made me more aware of my exercise and diet. I’ve reviewed more than eighty wearable devices and apps and each time I try to test the product. My experience with Sessions has gotten me to run at least four times a week and I look forward to my walks to and from work.”

After answering Melissa’s questions, I was intrigued to see how exactly my weight fluctuated since I started Alexisavvy. I looked back on my Withings Scale data, various app analytics, and my health records – from early 2011 to October 2013, I lost 10% of my body weight and kept up with regular exercise (something I didn’t do in college or banking). I can’t properly conclude whether this is because I changed jobs, moved to a more running friendly environment, or started a healthcare blog. However, I do know that keeping track of my health and exercise has kept me better in tune with my body.

Melissa Thompson, CEO and Founder of TalkSession: 30 Devices in 30 Days

Melissa Thompson left her Wall Street career as a trader with Goldman Sachs to follow her passion for entrepreneurship and social impact, founding TalkSession, an online counseling platform that uses cutting-edge technology to connect users with highly credible professionals for on-demand, mobile therapy and counseling sessions. She is a leader in the world of healthcare technology but remains humble and curious. Among her many community involvements and initiatives, she is a member of 37Angels, a community of women angel investors, a Board Advisor to the Flawless Foundation, a Technology Advisor to Newport Academy, and is on the Board of Directors of the Center for Health Innovation, leading the Women in Healthcare & Life Sciences initiative. Melissa is a regular contributor to The Huffington Post,

I caught up with Melissa to hear about her latest project, Quantified30, where she tried 30 healthcare devices in 30 days. You can read about her adventures at www.q30blog.com.

You tried 30 devices in 30 days, what was the inspiration behind this?

I created the Quantified 30 project for three reasons. The first? I was waking up exhausted every morning even though I was sleeping. I wanted to find the underlying cause, or at least something I could do to improve how I felt. I had exhausted the obvious reasons. The second relates to my startup. TalkSession is a telemedicine platform for remote therapy sessions. As the platform grows, I want to integrate biometric and contextual data around a person’s needs related to mental health and increase the healthcare provider’s knowledge of non-verbalized elements related to his or her patient. Lastly, I was frustrated that there were so many devices flooding the market and in comparing even just two of them, I noticed highly varied results. Since wearable devices are not subject to the same acuity trials as are diagnostic applications, I wanted to perform a small experiment (sample size = 1) to determine which metrics were most reliable.

Of all the apps and devices, which surprised you the most?

As a device, Lumoback was the most pleasantly surprising. The notion of wearing a buckled strap around one’s torso sounds awkward, but it was surprisingly comfortable, accurate and I would forget I was wearing it (until I slouched).

I had a surprise “moment” that led to my inappropriate laughter in a meeting. The FitBit One, randomly lit up with the scrolling words, “SMOOCHES MELISSA.” I am a big fan of positive reinforcement, but that unprompted love note was a bit out of context.

After 30 days, are there devices or apps you still use every day?

Yes! As for devices, I still wear Shine (best looking, most seamless) and Pebble (I like the ability to quickly screen if a phone call or message requires immediate attention). As for apps, I still use Sleep Cycle, and just started using Human, which is a great “starter tracker” and has also integrated transportation metrics into the timeline as well (maybe I can reduce the amount I spend on taxis!)

If you could create a sensor or device that could provide any piece of information, what would it be?

Any one piece of information? That is a very tough question. If it could be anything at all it would be a sensor to detect danger. Danger could be environmental danger, like on-coming traffic, or it could be early diseases detection. (You did say, anything, so I think super-powers are a fair dream!)

Google Glass. What is the most exciting potential application you have heard thus far?

I may be biased, but Glass’ potential lies in healthcare, and also in education. I believe healthcare is the most critical issue of our generation and technology is at a place where we can make significant inroads into increasing quality and lowering costs.

As for education, how many times have you told yourself that you would “look that up later,” and subsequently forgotten. For example, Glass wearers could say, “Glass, what am I looking at?” And it will have the ability to dictate the histories represented by monuments.

While not world-changing, there is one app I would love to see someone develop for Glass. I am fairly clumsy and more-often than not, guilty of texting-and-walking. It would great to literally have a second set of eyes so I can look away and not risk walking into traffic or other people.

Overall, Glass’ applications will have the most impact when its ability to provide immediacy and relevance to a users’ physical environment, like Google search has done for our Internet browsing environment.

You are the CEO and Founder of TalkSession. Tell us more about the company and what your long-term vision is for TalkSession.

Recently, we were fortunate enough to present TalkSession at the White House and prepared this video short to explain our mission.

TalkSession is a telemedicine company focused on improving mental healthcare access. With 1 in 4 people diagnosed with mental illness, I, like many have witnessed family members and friends not have the ability to get the help they needed.

I hope TalkSession can break down those barriers over time and make mental health treatment more accessible and acceptable.  For the long-term I want to prove through TalkSession that mental healthcare is a preventative tool. If we integrate behavioral healthcare into our primary healthcare, realizing the mind-body connection, people will have lower rates of chronic illnesses, obesity, and be happier and more productive.

I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to address this problem, armed with the knowledge and technology we have to offer.

Melissa, on a self-therapy test session with TalkSession.

What are a few goals you want to achieve in your lifetime?

As soon as I am able to invest, I want to be an angel investor and support others, while continuing my entrepreneurial pursuits. Raising the first check is always the hardest. The first angel investors who believed in me made such a difference in my business, confidence and trajectory. I would love to help entrepreneurs in the earlier stages of their development get the chance to pursue their dreams.

I strongly believe that innovation will come from the individuals with the most determination and passion to solve a problem. When asked, “Couldn’t Google replicate your technology?” Maybe they could, but my very specific niche is not their focus. Through focus, we will see a proliferation of thoughtful innovation.

My goal is to participate in and foster the movement towards using our collective ideas and skills to create products and business that are useful, and not just cool.

And as for 5, 10, 20 years from now? I hope you’ll check back with me then. I could not have predicted 5 years ago that I would be where I am today.  As long as I am making a difference in the world in some way, then I will set my goals as the world’s challenges evolved and try to apply myself in the most useful way possible to address those challenges.

Sessions: Personalized Mobile Coaching Helps You Stay Active

Sometimes you get busy. For most people, the first thing that gets pushed off is regular exercise. For me, this generally happens when my schedule becomes travel heavy or I don’t have a running event I’m training for. In the past six months, I traveled to Asia for a month, moved not once but twice, and spent approximately 85% of my weekends away from San Francisco. And so my regular exercise became my commute, which didn’t amount to very much.

I needed someone to encourage and gently remind me to set aside 30-40 minutes a few times a week to hit the pavement. Sessions, did just that.

The 16 week program is targeted towards steady lifestyle improvements. My coach, Glennis, who is also the Director of Coaching at Sessions, has worked with hundreds of people in my position. She essentially became my online and mobile personal trainer. Every Sunday I would plan out my workouts for the week through an online user portal we shared. Before each run, Glennis would text and email me reminders and tips. She helped me create a plan for running on weekdays, and after I moved she gave me route ideas for my new neighborhood. By syncing RunKeeper to Sessions, she knew when I exercised and encouraged my progress.

There were definitely days I did not want to run, especially on Sunday afternoons. But then I would get a text from Glennis asking if I was ready, which always kept me honest. Along with Sunday check-in’s, there are quick weekly assignments that ask introspective questions about my habits and find potential improvements to them.

All messages and exercise sessions are recorded on one dashboard in Sessions, where you can track your progress.

Here are some stats on how the program really does change behaviors:

• 90% of people complete the entire program which is 10-20x higher than most health and fitness products
• 94% of people are very likely or extremely likely to recommend the program to friends and family
• On average, people send a message to their coach daily
• There is 80% compliance with Sessions plans
• People visit the site an average of nearly 10x/week
• Sessions is currently enrolling in a Randomized Clinical Trial with Mayo Clinic

Sessions is a great way, for a fraction of the price, to work with a personal trainer and health consultant. The best part is that after only a month of Sessions, I’ve still kept up with my new fitness goals.

Founder Interview: Matt Mattox, Co-Founder and VP of Products at Axial Exchange

I spoke with Matt Mattox, Co-Founder and VP of Products at Axial Exchange last week to learn more about Axial’s patient engagement software. They are currently working with 13 health systems, encompassing 70 hospitals – I downloaded the University of Colorado Health app as an example.

The app makes it easy to search for physicians in your vicinity under your health system, track and manage medications, as well as monitor changes in your body – anything from migraines to glucose readings. All of this information (plus more, like syncing your Fitbit), is consolidated into one place.

Matt believes that medication management is the most important feature of the app. “Not adhering to medication is a $100BN+ problem. We believe that if there is an adjustment to meds, the patient should know at once, and be reminded to change his intake.”

So how is this app different from other ones on the market? Matt gives an example, “If a patient has congestive heart failure and is using a weight tracker – his physician should know when there is a spike in weight. When that patient visits his care provider, we make it easy to create and share a formatted report of his health data so his physician can see what’s going on.” On the provider side, hospitals also have access to an analytics dashboard where they can monitor engagement.

As a patient, you might be using an app by Axial Exchange already and not even know it. The company doesn’t promote itself; instead Axial works with health systems to market the app to patients.

I asked Matt if giving a doctor too much patient data could be a bad thing. “We try to make the information count. For example, if a patient has diabetes, there are really only a few important things he needs to remember – don’t drink carbs, don’t eat foods you can buy in a convenience store or gas station – we try to boil down health information into actionable advice. On the tracker front, we don’t anticipate that all our patients will pour over their kidney function data and every lab value, but our providers do want to know if they are sleeping well and if they are taking medications on time and following a diet. Our goal is to focus on sustainable engagement, where clients know that the app is part of the prescription and they use it daily to manage their health.”

Axial is working on designing a disease management application as well, which will offer a clear set of learning and tracking objectives for self-managed care. I’m very excited for Axial Exchange’s growth, and hope the app comes to my health system soon. They truly offer the analytics and services needed to create successful patient engagement and promote healthy living.

Kishan Shah: 200 Pounds Lost, the President of Downsize Fitness Continues to Inspire

I met Kishan Shah in 2007, when we both interned on the trading floor at UBS Investment Bank. While he might describe himself as heavy set back then, I remember his inquisitive personality and warm smile. In truth, he was halfway through his weight loss journey, which started in 2005 when he hit 400 pounds. In 2007 he was down to 250 pounds. Kishan hit 230 pounds when he was leaving Dubai, where he had worked at consulting firm, Oliver Wyman, after spending time at a mixed martial arts training camp in Thailand for a month (he dreamed of training like Rocky when he was a kid). Although Kishan hit a small roadblock, gaining 40 pounds while working at an investment bank in Chicago, he moved to New York to work at Goldman Sachs and got down to 195 pounds a year and a half ago using their onsite gym. He’s been at 195 pounds ever since.

Kishan surprised me this past spring with a call to discuss healthcare technology and fitness. Although he had worked in finance his entire career, he wanted to focus more on his passion – bringing his personal experience of losing over 200 pounds through diet and exercise to others. Kishan soon after joined Downsize Fitness as President and has been a public health advocate ever since, even speaking with First Lady Michelle Obama about his experience.

I asked Kishan to share some of his experiences and expertise with us:

When did you first realize there was something wrong with your weight, and when did you start to do something about it?

Taken from my article on Greatist:  In 2005, I hit my turning point. It wasn’t the impending amputation of my right foot from diabetic complications that provoked me to change my health routines — it was the embarrassment of shopping for a suit. I was at a store for large men when the tailor’s five-foot tape measure could not fit around my 62-inch waist. I saw the pity in his eyes, the tears in mine, and I promptly exited the store, determined to turn things around.

Many people yo-yo diet when they are trying to lose weight, how did you keep yourself motivated at first, and how do you continue to motivate yourself?

I spent my first 19 years yo-yo dieting and was generally unsure of how the human body worked.  I believe changing one’s own environment is the single most important factor towards successful, sustainable weight loss.  That’s why at Downsize, our secret sauce is community.  We make sure to provide all of the tools for people to live happy, healthier lives – whether that means fitness training, nutritional advice, support groups, events with affiliates and partners, a kickball league, you-name-it.  We don’t advocate supplements/magic-pills/or any sort of quick fixes.

Today, it’s less about my own weight and more about helping others.  I personally receive at least 10 emails a week about how my story has inspired others.  It’s the greatest feeling in the world.

Do you use any health apps or devices?

I have used a Nike FuelBand in the past.  We use a quantified-self device called MYZONE to track our members’ heart rates and calorie burn in real-time at our gyms.  We also use an Inbody Scale to provide a detailed body composition analysis to our members at Downsize.

While I love these devices and enjoy using them, I personally weigh myself once a quarter – I judge my progress based upon how I feel and how my clothes fit.  As a former Wall-Streeter, I am intensely analytical and appreciate data.  However, I have come to the realization that my fitness and nutrition program’s ultimate output is to make me happier and healthier.  I try not to be bogged down in the numbers and instead focus on a deeper level of awareness to understand what my body and mind are actually telling me.

You have extensive experience working at some of the world’s most well-known financial institutions. What made you make the switch to be President at Downsize Fitness?

Downsize provided me with an opportunity to do the following:

1. Focus on a population segment that I care deeply about.  From my personal experience, being overweight, I felt society ridiculed and ostracized me.  The traditional fitness industry has ignored this population and the medical community has provided minimal support.
2. Create human-level impact.  Our members love coming to Downsize, no company has made sustainable weight loss fun – it’s a drill sergeant bringing you to tears in the gym or a juice cleanse which makes you starve.  We’ve had members kick their insulin injection.  We’re literally saving lives and making people happier on a daily basis.
3. Be an operator.  Growing an organization and mentoring talent excite me.  I absolutely love what I do – I see a relationship between my effort and the number of lives I can touch.  There’s nothing more impactful than that.

What are your passions?

Other than Downsize:

1. Teaching.  I want to help others in an educational setting – whether that means entrepreneurship, business lessons, or general career advice.  I’ve taught at Columbia and my alma mater University of Michigan and have designed my own course at General Assembly – I hope to teach at more schools and through different online platforms in 2014.
2. Hip hop music.  It represents the hustle and ability to connect with people from all walks of life.  Check out my interview with The Phat Startup bridging hip hop and business.

In a perfect world, from a health perspective, what would you like to see?

The AMA finally recognized obesity as a disease which is a great first step to engage the medical community.  At Downsize, we hired our Chief Medical Advisor who has helped his patients lose 80,000 pounds.  We are working closely with providers to generate happier and healthier communities.

What tips or recommendations would you give readers who are in the process of losing weight?

1. Execute.  Even on my weekends, I wake up at 6AM and I am in the gym by 7AM.  It’s extremely satisfying to have woken up, get in a great workout, eat breakfast, catch up with friends over Skype in Europe and the Middle East all before noon.  It may sound like a chore to do this, but your body adapts to being more active.
2. Read.  While I may have lost a few pounds, I am continually learning about healthy foods, new exercises and additional spiritual techniques to de-stress and focus.  I love the concept of growing stronger and smarter every day.
3. Listen.  Play therapist and listen to your family, friends and peers about their views on food habits and exercise routines.  I love hearing different perspectives and constantly tinker with my own personal (and Downsize’s) approach to keep things interesting.
4. Rest.   I hope that everyone takes time to rest during the weekend.  As an introvert, I look forward to that special time each week that I can spend alone, away from our increasingly connected world to simply unwind.  It recharges my emotional batteries, rests my muscles from my workouts, clears my mind and restores my ambition for the coming week.

Founder Interview: Nirinjan Yee, President and Founder of BreathResearch

Nirinjan Yee, President and Founder of BreathResearch started her company after a series of experiences dating back to 25 years ago. An active outdoor enthusiast, Nirinjan was diagnosed with late stage lime disease. For a couple of years, she became partially paralyzed and her joints were swollen to the point where she couldn’t walk. A blood test showed that she had one of the worst cases of lime disease in Northern California. While being treated with IV antibiotics, unable to move and being told by the medical community that it was too late for her to fully recover, she discovered the art and science of breathing. After practicing for 3-4 hours a day, Nirinjan started to get better, feel less pain and finally was able to fully move again.

Now Nirinjan is back to being super active, hiking, dancing and cycling. She wants to show other people that while breathing is very personal and subjective, it is undeniably linked to your physiology and anatomy. She began a 10 year study on respiratory health, using audio to record and study breathing. Nirinjan found the right engineers to work with and they mapped out a way to turn the quiet sound of breathing into data and metrics, turning their work into the downloadable MyBreath app.

She is now creating a BreathAcoustics All-in-One Headset that combines her current research and development with a new, more exact breath training headset. I asked Nirinjan a few questions about her newest venture.

How does barometric pressure and altitude help form a picture of health?

“Our breath changes with altitude and it is important to measure our environment. People with chronic illnesses will say it is a ‘low pressure day,’ or they’re depressed or achy based on the weather. Breathing and heart rate is connected to our physical and emotional health as well.”

Who do you see using this? Do you have a target audience in mind?

“The goal of the headset is to bring breathing, stress reduction, and the ability to optimize our fitness all in one place. The headset is targeted to consumers who want to incrementally improve their health and fitness, de-stress, and get the most out of their exercise. The headset is also targeted towards athletes who are taking their health and fitness to the next level in their training. The headset can track breathing and heart rate to determine training zones and create customized exercise plans. The headset will be first available for consumer use, while we conduct further studies to take it to the FDA.”

When will the first roll out be?

While it could be sooner, Nirinjan is focused on making the best product possible. The release is targeted for the end of 2014.

What would you like people to know about your vision and the product?

Nirinjan is a designer at heart. She has a strong aesthetic desire to create a company that makes devices that are truly wearable. Her goal is to make products that not only look and feel good, but are high tech and performance driven. As Nirinjan states, “We take breathing for granted, you are either okay or you are not okay. I want to bring all the information that can be mined from regular, daily breathing and make it accessible and easy to understand for people. Breathing is at the very center of our physical and mental health.”

Jawbone UP: Issues, Bugs and Imperfections That Surprise Me

I received my first Jawbone UP in March 2013, and have used it (and its replacements) for about 65-70% of the time since. I like the UP, but here are some issues I would love to see resolved:

Bluetooth. Jawbone is known for its bluetooth technology, saying their Jawbone Era Headset is ‘simply the best on the planet.’ It might take a day’s juice out of the 10 days the UP lasts for, but adding bluetooth would make it easier to use and more competitive with other wearable devices. Space a limit? The UP has more cumulative volume than the Fitbit One and the Withings Pulse.

Manufacturing. I’m on my 3rd Jawbone UP. It’s been less than eight months since I received my first one, and I haven’t even been using it daily. Customer support tells me that since I’m past my first month, my only option is to trade in my broken UP for a new one, which I can do up to one year. After that, a dud is my own problem. Given my current track record, I’ll probably need a new one in less than three months – oh, and money back after the first month is not an option.

Apps Sync. The UP app doesn’t give you credit for runs/walks/activities done with other apps, if you aren’t wearing your UP band. RunKeeper doesn’t calibrate my steps (says zero) but it does say I walked 3.44 miles at a pace of 11.4 miles / minute. Based on my height and weight, which UP knows, it should be able to provide an estimate on how many steps I took during that walk. Instead of moving 9,635 steps, I should have roughly double that for Oct. 6th

Sensor sensitivity. Jawbone doesn’t always know when you get up for good (you have to push the button when you go to bed and when you wake up to track sleep). Surprisingly, my brisk walk this morning was interrupted with my UP vibrating at 7:00AM. I had set my Smart Sleep Alarm to vibrate at 7AM, but I had been continuously moving around since  6:26AM, and seriously pounding the pavement before the sleep alarm went off.

The Jawbone UP is in a burgeoning space, with new wearable trackers entering the market. I hope the next version produces a more thought out device, and addresses some of my concerns – concerns that an actual user would have.

Founder Interview: Akhila Satish, Founder and CEO of CyberDoctor

Akhila Satish, founder and CEO of CyberDoctor, believes in behavioral change through reflection. CyberDoctor just released their newest product, an app called PatientPartner. Fascinated by the connection between communication and science, Akhila wanted to bridge the communication gap between consumers and doctors. In her words, “We are all patients and we are all continuously patients. PatientPartner is not just an application you use when you are unhealthy, in fact we urge you to use it when you are healthy, so that you can strengthen your health awareness skill set.”

PatientPartner is composed of a series of short narrative games that take a user through another person’s life and asks them how that character would handle certain tasks and situations. Then the app asks the user to answer those same questions regarding their own actions. The app takes all these answers and analyzes the users’ selections to give personalized feedback on how the user can improve his/her health.

In recent clinical trials, patients with diabetes who used PatientPartner improved their medication management, exercise habits and eating habits. The app is not disease specific, as Akhila states, “Everything in the app is universal – we are teaching people how to think about general habits. Questions in the app can also be linked to topics beyond health, such as money and spending habits.” I asked Akhila why they decided to do clinical tests – an intensive approach that many app makers skip. She responded, “There are 40,000 apps in the app store, so to differentiate, we have to show that we are an app that is not just fun to play with, but also clinically proven to change behavior – clinically proven to work. We are measuring biological responses and running a trial makes it easier to see if users adhere to medication intake and diet changes, becoming healthier overall.”

What does Akhila hope for? “We want to get PatientPartner out to millions of people. When we looked at the clinical trial data, we actually thought it would be ethically wrong if we did not release it to the public because we want everyone to have access to it.” PatientPartner gives you two scenarios for free. Then, for the price of a latte, you can unlock additional scenarios and features, including access to a prescription drug coupon (up to 45% off on medications), and earn points redeemable for gift cards and other prizes.