10 Best performing telehealth solutions providers in 2020, that pitched in their everything to make sure that no health-related request went unattended.
10 best performing telehealth solution providers in 2020 small(1)(1)
1. VOLUME 1 1
WWW.INSIGHTSCARE.COM
TruDoc 24x7
ISSUE 02
RAOUF KHALIL
CEO & FOUNDER
10BEST
PERFORMING
TELEHEALTH
SOLUTIONPROVIDERS IN 2020
Doing The Right Thing
4. This year has been exceptional
when it comes to telehealth
services. Due to the pandemic,
physical consultation with doctors
became restricted. But health
emergencies seldom wait. More
importantly, certain health conditions
need regular monitoring, check-up and
consultation with the medical
practitioners. The pandemic made
such patients suffer the most.
However, with telehealth services
already in practice, the situation was
saved from going berserk. Ever since
the lockdown was imposed in most of
the countries, medical practitioners
made sure that they moved to
telehealth portals if they were not
already using it. They guided their
THE YEAR OF
TELEHEALTH
SERVICES
5. patients on how to make the switch to virtual
consultations instead of physical and made
sure that they were always around for their
patients.
The industry too rose to the occasion.
Flooded with sudden requests they had to
scale themselves really quick. They had to
make sure that they had enough trained
people on-board to handle the surge. They
also relied on feedbacks in real-time and with
real users to improve on and add to the
services they provide. More importantly, they
had to make sure that the services reached
the patients in even the remotest areas so
that the services could be availed.
The patients too took to the means being
offered in such critical situations. While most
were averse to technology initially, the ease of
operations that the telehealth services
provided and the necessity that the
pandemic created pushed them to learn and
utilize the technology to stay healthy and
safe.
Altogether it was a collaborative effort from
everyone involved that saw the rise of
telehealth services. In this issue of Insights
Care, we applaud the efforts of “10 Best
performing Telehealth Solutions
Providers in 2020” that pitched in their
everything to make sure that no
health-related request went unattended.
EDITORS COLUMN
Sneha Sinha
sneha@insightssuccess.com
6. TruDoc Healthcare LLC
Taking Telehealth Services to the Next Level
COVER STORY
CONTENTs
COMPANY OF THE MONTH
Apollo TeleHealth
Transforming Indian Telemedicine
Space Dynamically
Telemedicine During Covid-19
Remote Health
ARTICLE
10
18
34
7. Coviu
A Virtual Clinic Configured
to your Needs
QARE
Patient-oriented Quality
Healthcare Programs
Walk With Path
Creating Simple Solutions
for Positive Impact
Interview with Insights Care
Patients in need of Diagnostics Tests are
Avoiding Pathology Labs Due to Covid Fears
DOCTORS
CXO
22
26 36
30
11. Management BriefCompany Name
Andiamo
Naveed Parvez
CEO
andiamo.io
Andiamo delivers a medically effective orthosis within
two weeks of a person’s need globally.
Apollo Telehealth
Services
Vikram Thaploo
CEO
apollotelehealth.com
Apollo Hospitals has created the largest and oldest
multi-specialty telemedicine network in South Asia.
Coviu
Dr Silvia Pfeiffer
Founder and CEO
coviu.com
KIMS Global
Sheriff M. Sahadulla
MD
kimsglobal.com
KIMSHEALTH is a quaternary care hospital network
offering end-to-end healthcare services
Medtronic PLC One among the largest medical device companies in the world.
Olivier Thierry
President and CEO
qare.fr
Telehealth Consultation made easy.Qare.fr
Jared Schwartzentruber
Founder
quio.com
On a mission to improve lives through Better Health +
Care.
TruDoc 24x7
Raouf Khalil
Founder and CEO
trudoc24x7.com
Walk With Path
Lise Pape
Founder and MD
walkwithpath.com
Creating inclusive innovations to make a positive impact
Breaking down the barrier of distance and enabling fair and
equitable access to healthcare for everyone.
Combines next-generation telemedicine, telemonitoring
and home health to provide immediate access to doctors
and wellness experts.
Medoc
Udi Gafni
Founder
medoc-web.com
A leading developer and manufacturer of neuro-diagnostic
medical systems used to assess and monitor acute and chronic
pain.
Quio
Geoffrey S Martha
CEO
medtronic.com
10 BEST PERFORMING
SOLUTION PROVIDERS IN 2020
TELEHEALTH
13. TruDoc Healthcare LLC
Taking Telehealth Services to the Next Level
COVER STORY
10 Best Performing
Telehealth Solution Providers
in 2020
14. The evolution of modern
technology and advances in
scientific medicine has now
made it possible for individuals to be
seen by a healthcare professional from
the comfort of their home, office or
anywhere in the world. This, aligned
with their lifestyle preferences has
transformed access to healthcare in line
with the new post-COVID-19 era.
The arrival of COVID-19 meant health
systems around the world had to
rapidly adapt to the critical need for
social distancing among physicians and
patients. The result has been an
unprecedented demand for telehealth
services, involving the use of different
technologies and networks to enable
communication between the patient
and provider. Telehealth services are
increasingly becoming a major force in
the effort to reduce healthcare-related
COVID-19 transmissions, and
ultimately protect both the patient and
the health professionals. Therefore,
providing patients with access to 24x7
available healthcare professionals is
needed now more than ever.
The increased awareness of telehealth
and the quality services now made
available during the pandemic has
increased confidence in the use of such
services. It is anticipated
post-COVID-19 that many people will
adopt the telehealth solution as the
norm. The opportunity for telehealth
services to become a standard of care
is growing and will continue to grow
post-COVID-19 as it has proven to be
effective during the outbreak.
Considered as the first Care Level
Management Delivery System
Provider in the world, TruDoc 24x7
with its multiple 24x7 Entry Points,
has been very successful in safely
managing its patients with innovative
healthcare delivery.
An Integrated Delivery System
The biggest challenge for healthcare
consumers and payers is a fragmented
healthcare system. To align patients,
providers and payers TruDoc24x7 is
staffed with full-time Doctors,
Psychologists, Wellness Experts,
Pharmacists, Case Managers and
comprehensive IT specialists. TruDoc
has succeeded in integrating multiple
entry points to ensure consumers are
provided with the proper level of care
24x7, based on Evidence Based
Medicine. Having an integrated team
approach has led to early
interventions in care, with better
clinical outcomes being a key
element of TruDoc’s success in
aligning patients and payers.
TruDoc 24x7 was set up in 2011 in
Dubai, UAE, with a mission to change
consumer behavior through TruDoc’s
24x7 Entry Points to align patients and
payers based on Evidence-Based
Medicine.
The company provides a one-stop-shop
for healthy, acute and chronic patients
through TruDoc’s 24x7 Entry Points all
connected to its 24x7 Medical and
Wellness Call Center. When travelling,
the patients can get connected via
TruDoc 24x7’s inte- grated mobile
application; when at the office, through
TruDoc 24x7’s Virtual Clinic or
On-site Clinics; when at the hospital,
through TruDoc 24x7’s Hospitalists
Program and when at home, through
TruDoc 24x7’s Hospital @ Home
Program including telemonitoring, all
as one integrated delivery system.
Our goal is to
ensure an
appropriate balance
between quality
and cost, starting
from the moment
you access our
physician helpline
to the point of
recovery.
‘‘
‘‘
15. Ensuring the Truth through
Evidence-Based Medicine
TruDoc’s doctors are full-time
employees who have no incentives for
overutilization, this ensures that
patients are told the truth about what
they need and not what they can afford,
all based on Evidence-Based Medicine.
This not only provides a better clinical
outcome for the patients but also a
better financial outcome for their
healthcare payer.
TruDoc 24x7 Entry Points include:
Integrated Mobile Application:
Members can speak to TruDoc
24x7’s doctors through the mobile
application via voice/video call and
live chat or book an appointment
with its wellness team or
psychologist. The mobile application
also has an AI-based Symptom
Checker for both general check-ups
as well as COVID-19 specific
symptoms. Other features and
services include medication delivery,
lab specimen services from the
comfort of the office or home, 24x7
vital signs tracking for chronic as
well as wellness support, doctor
appointment reminders and
health/wellness articles.
Health & Wellness Virtual Clinic:
TruDoc 24x7’s Virtual Clinic provides
members with 24x7 access to video
consultations with available doctors.
Members can also measure their vital
signs by using integrated, smart
telemonitoring devices that are
connected via Bluetooth to TruDoc’s
Call Center. The readings will sync to
the Call Center where TruDoc’s
doctors are available 24x7, monitoring
patients’ readings. Virtual Clinics can
be placed in different locations
including corporate offices, staff
accommodation, pharmacies, schools,
malls, nursing homes, hotels, etc.
Hospitalist Program: TruDoc’s
Hospitalist Program focuses on early
discharge of patients from hospitals to
reduce unnecessary average hospital
bed-days. Its Doctors making rounds in
hospitals can determine whether a
patient requires inpatient treatment or
not based on Evidence Based Medicine
thus discharging them into TruDoc’s
Hospital at Home Program where they
are managed effectively at home for
better clinical and financial outcomes.
Hospital at Home Program:
TruDoc’s Hospital at Home Program
provides hospital-level care for patients
in the comfort of their homes. Patients
are provided with necessary medical
equipment and onboarded onto the
program. Their readings are
automatically synced to its Control
Center where its doctors are ready to
intervene 24x7 and provide the
appropriate level of care. When
necessary, its doctors and nurses make
home visits. The Hospital at Home
Program aims to reduce unnecessary
hospital admissions, reduce hospital
average length of stay and provide
peace of mind for patients and their
families.
Although TruDoc 24x7 caters for
patients with Healthy, Acute and
Chronic conditions, TruDoc recognize
the FACT that it’s 20% of the
population that consumes 82% of
medical cost and that Telemedicine
16. alone does not work for these high-risk
chronic patients. What sets TruDoc
24x7 apart from other competitors in
the region is the focus on this 20% of
the population by providing connected
Entry Points: Hospital at Home
Program with 24x7 Telemonitoring,
Hospitalist Program, On Site Virtual
Clinic and mobile application all
controlled by TruDoc 24x7 Control
Center.
A Profound Leader Bringing
Significant Difference
The inceptive mind behind TruDoc
24x7 is its Founder and CEO, Raouf
Khalil. Mr. Khalil has 33 years of
experience in outpatient care services.
Before founding TruDoc 24x7 LLC, he
founded and served as Chairman and
CEO of multiple healthcare providers
including Professional Home Health
Services (PHHS), a California
company providing Home Infusion,
Home Health, Hospitalists, Hospice
and Durable Medical Equipment.
PHHS was sold to Option Care Inc. a
USA national home infusion company.
Mr. Khalil was instrumental in
developing an early intervention
clinical model which connects
inpatient and outpatient care for
chronically ill patients. The model
incorporated Hospitalist Programs and
24-7 access to Doctors home visits by
providing over 40,000 Doctors home
visits per month in USA. He also
developed a unique healthcare financial
reimbursement model based on better
patient satisfaction and net savings for
payers.
Under the leadership of Mr. Khalil,
TruDoc 24x7 successfully transited
from just a Tele-medicine provider to a
one of its kind 24x7 Care Level
Management serving healthy, acute
and chronic conditions. He believes
the only truly sustainable healthcare
solution is the one that aligns, patients,
payers and providers through
Evidence Based Medicine. TruDoc has
developed a practical solution for the
20% of the population that consumes
82% of medical cost by connecting the
entry points and utilizing
telemonitoring technology for early
intervention and
24x7 triaging to the
appropriate level of
care which avoids
unnecessary
medical
expenditure, unless
there is an
imminent clinical
and/or financial
risk. Thereby
ensuring high
patient satisfaction
and net savings for payers.
Leveraging AI to build Topnotch
Solutions
One of the most prominent trends in
digital health technology is the use
of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which
TruDoc has implemented in the form
of a Symptom Checker for both
general symptoms as well as
COVID-19 specific symptoms.
TruDoc’s one-of-a-kind Care Level
Management Delivery System is
supported by its own IT-solution which
was developed in-house 6 years ago.
Through its innovative technology,
TruDoc is able to provide 24x7 access
to doctors, wellness experts, therapists,
pharmacists and case managers via
voice/video calls and live chat.
We provide
immediate access to
highly trained and
licensed doctors,
Psychologists and
wellness experts
via video/voice
calls and live chat,
anytime, from
anywhere in the
world.
‘‘
‘‘
17. One of the most important elements of TruDoc’s IT system
is its ability to stratify chronic high-risk patients and monitor
their readings through its 24x7 Call Centre where its doctors
are ready to intervene and provide the appropriate level of
care; thus, addressing clinical and or financial risks
appropriately. This ensures TruDoc’s ability to generate net
ROI to its payers while significantly enhancing patient
satisfaction.
Enlightening Emerging Healthcare Leaders
Mr. Khalil opines that the healthcare sector is witnessing a
lot of changes and reforms in recent years. As it grows, there
will always be many challenges facing it. This is by itself an
incentive for all entrepreneurs to start exploring new and
innovative ideas which will eventually create a thriving
market for health-related businesses to benefit consumers
and payers.
The coronavirus outbreak has impacted many businesses
worldwide bringing the healthcare sector at the epicenter of
this global pandemic challenge and thus there are a lot of
potentially great and sustainable healthcare business ideas
that can be developed in this industry. To all the emerging
entrepreneurs aspiring to enter into the healthcare industry,
Mr. Khalil advises, “The next opportunity is there waiting
for you, believe in your vision and start achieving. This is an
exciting period of evolution to make a change.”
Spreading Wings
TruDoc 24x7 reaches its consumers by partnering with
healthcare payers, who offer TruDoc’s services as an
additional benefit to their members. TruDoc 24x7 now has
over 4.4 million paid subscribers in multiple countries and
over 6,700 multinational corporate clients including
insurance carriers, governments, brokerage firms and TPAs,
telecom providers, pharmacies, etc.
TruDoc 24x7 currently operates in UAE, Nigeria and Egypt
and is planning to expand its services in 6 new countries in
the next 12 months and enroll 30 million new members on
the program through organic growth and strategic
partnerships.
Currently, its team consists of General Practitioners, Family
Medicine Doctors, Psychologists, Wellness Experts,
Pharmacists and Case Managers. It is planning to add more
specialties in the future.
Case Study – Ensuring Financial Savings
and Customer Satisfaction
TruDoc 24x7’s Hospital at Home Program
(licensed by Johns Hopkins University)
This program was implemented in July 2017.
Patients were discharged from hospitals into
the Hospital at Home Program to be
managed by its doctors, nurses and
supporting team who would go on to provide
hospital-level care for these patients in the
comfort of their own homes. Both patients
and their families were extremely satisfied
with the program and significant savings
were made for payers. All savings analysis was
done by a third-party actuarial firm” Lux
Actuaries & Consultants”. The impact TruDoc
made on Chronic Care can be seen below:
Reduction in Overall Claims Cost ~40%
Reduction in OP GP
Consultation
~30%
Reduction in ER Visits ~35%
Reduction in Ambulance
Utilizations
~30%
Reduction in Hospital Bed Days ~30%
Reduction in Specialist
Consultations
~30%
Reduction in Readmissions ~15%
Patient Satisfaction ~90+%
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20. Relentless innovation is the key
to create value across every
industry and the healthcare
industry is certainly no exception. The
healthcare industry in India has been a
late adopter of technology which is
why the implementation of several
initiatives that relied on the use of
technology faced some major
obstacles.
The adoption of different forms of
technology is crucial for increased
efficiency, expanded access and
improved outcomes. While
telemedicine is one area where we are
now seeing increased use of
telecommunications and medical
technology, there is a dire need to
adopt the same attitude across every
segment of the healthcare industry to
ensure better healthcare, quality and
deliverability.
Working with the intention of
enhancing the healthcare deliverables,
Apollo TeleHealth is one of the
industry leaders in the telemedicine
sector.
Under the leadership of Vikram
Thaploo, CEO of the company,
Apollo TeleHealth is taking giant
strides towards achieving its mission
and goals. How is it doing that? Let’s
read in the below exclusive Interview
with Insights Care:
IC Team: Please brief our audience
about your company, its values,
vision, and mission.
Vikram: Apollo TeleHealth is the
oldest and largest multispecialty
telemedicine network in South Asia.
Being a pioneer in telemedicine, we
serve both rural and urban
communities ensuring that quality
health services are available to all. We
offer telehealth services like
Teleconsultations, Tele-Emergency,
Tele-ICU, Tele-Radiology,
Tele-Condition Management,
Tele-Cardiology, and many more.
Apollo TeleHealth is like a close-knit
family guided by the values of
Compassionate Care, Trustworthy
Spirit, Excellence, Proactive
Involvement and Pioneering Attitude.
Our values unite us and hold us for a
common cause which is to provide
quality services to a globalised
populace by facilitating the interactions
through innovative use of technology.
Our mission and vision are to provide
healthcare accessibility to a wide
population base, even in the remotest
corners by using state-of-the-art
technologies to ensure a healthier
tomorrow.
IC Team: What are the prominent
solutions and products that make
your company stand out from the
competition?
Vikram: Apollo Telehealth empowers
its patients with integrated healthcare
delivery to offer services like
Teleconsultations, Tele-Emergency,
Tele-ICU, Tele-Radiology,
Tele-Condition Management,
Tele-Cardiology, and others. By
blending in advanced medical devices,
IT and quality clinical services, Apollo
TRANSFORMING INDIAN TELEMEDICINE SPACE DYNAMICALLY
We are constantly
adding innovations
to our digital health
vertical paving the
way to easy and
affordable
healthcare
accessibility to the
remotest corners of
the country.
18 | INSIGHTS CARE VOLUME - 11, ISSUE - 02, 2020
21. Remote Healthcare is empowering its
patients to get effective treatment
without the need to step out of their
homes.
Our approach to evidence-based
quality healthcare supported by high
end connected and state-of-the-art
devices and clinical protocols have
given us an edge in medical expertise
with a massive presence across India.
Since the telehealth service is an
offshoot of Apollo’s integrated
healthcare delivery system, we
certainly have the edge of being the
leaders offering critical services like
Tele-Emergency and Tele-ICU as well
as regular services such as
Tele-Consultancy, Tele-Condition
Management, Tele-Radiology,
Tele-Cardiology, etc. This is what
helps us to strengthen our position in
the market and remain the leaders.
IC Team: Brief us about the featured
person(s) and their journey in the
healthcare industry.
Apollo TeleHealth Team: A veteran
with extensive experience in setting up
sustainable business models and
strategizing innovative projects, Mr.
Vikram Thaploo is a successful
business leader who is presently in
charge of Apollo’s Remote Healthcare
Vertical. He has more than twenty
years of experience working for some
of the most prestigious organisations
that span across diverse industries like
retail, healthcare, and hospitality.
As the CEO of Apollo TeleHealth, he
is hailed for his efforts to put in place a
sustainable business model that
delivers quality healthcare services to
all, be it for people from the rural parts
of the country or the urban areas. With
his knack for excellence and
implementation of successful business
operations, his objective is to provide
affordable healthcare services by
bringing together Medtech ecosystems,
telecom, and technology. ASSOCHAM
awarded ‘Leadership Award of the
Year’ to Mr. Vikram Thaploo and he
won the accolade for ‘CEO of the Year’
Vikram Thaploo
CEO
COMPANY OF THE MONTH
VIKRAM THAPLOO
CEO
2020 ISSUE - 02,, VOLUME - 11 INSIGHTS CARE | 19
22. which was presented by Healthcare
Achievers and Leadership Award,
among many such awards.
IC Team: Taking into consideration,
the current pandemic, and its impact
on global economies, how are you
driving your organization to sustain
operations and ensuring safety of
your employees at the same time?
Vikram: The COVID-19 pandemic has
affected businesses and economies
across the world. It is now more
important than ever to refocus on
business operations to maintain
seamless business continuity. We are
adopting a collaborative, pragmatic
approach to adapt ourselves to new
ways of running a business and ensure
that things are happening in an
empathetic, timely manner. We are
also following an active
communications strategy to employees,
suppliers, clients, and partners so that
business operations remain free from
hurdles.
Our primary focus is the safety and
health of our employees, their family,
and our Apollo community as-a-whole.
We have been adhering to safe work
practices and a safe work environment
ever since we became a part of Apollo.
Keeping in mind the present situation,
we have implemented different
measures to prevent the risk of spread
and provide a safe, healthy
environment for our employees. No
delay in salaries, adequate insurances
and flexibility in their areas has been a
motivation for employees.
IC Team: What do you think could
be the future of Telehealth
technologies and solutions market
post the COVID-19 pandemic?
Vikram: The widespread adoption and
popularity of telehealth services is a
clear indication of the fact that it is
here to stay. Instead of just being
viewed as another technological fad,
telehealth should be an enabler that
would support the overall healthcare
delivery system. With advancements in
technology happening at a fast pace, I
believe that telehealth will turn out to
be one of the most useful clinical tools
for increased operational efficiencies
and better patient care.
As healthcare providers look for ways
to cut-down healthcare costs while
20 | INSIGHTS CARE VOLUME - 11, ISSUE - 02, 2020
23. maintaining their quality of service,
they will need to adjust to changes like
telehealth to better meet the needs of
their patients. With several countries
and states set to adopt meaningful
telehealth legislation over the coming
months, the future of telehealth
certainly looks promising. Telehealth is
the only means to provide continuum
of care.
IC Team: What would be your advice
to the emerging entrepreneurs
aspiring to enter the healthcare
industry?
Vikram: Clear vision and passion are
two of the most essential qualities to be
successful in any business. Another
important factor is how much time you
are investing to learn the subject
in-depth. Being an entrepreneur, one
must understand that there are no rule
books or guides to move from one step
to another. There will be moments of
uncertainty and doubt, but the idea is to
move ahead even if there are failures.
My advice would be to keep your goal
in sight and fuel it with perseverance.
Telehealth is a promising sector where
people from the medical field as well
as IT can make their presence felt.
There is a vast pool of opportunity
waiting to be explored, so just believe
your instincts, and turn your dream
into reality.
IC Team: Where do you envision
your organization to be in the long
run and what are your future goals?
Vikram: What we started as an
initiative to provide healthcare services
at reasonable prices to people in
villages across India has now turned
into a comprehensive development that
spans across rural and urban
geographies, globally. With
telemedicine being gradually
recognized as a feasible solution
to quality healthcare
accessibility, we are partnering
with different state governments
to address the healthcare needs
of the population.
We will continue to focus on the
digitalization of healthcare with
IoT, AI-enabled platforms,
CDSS, IoMT and machine
learning (ML) to expand the
reach of telemedicine to every
corner of the country. Presently
we have our presence across
350,000 touchpoints in India
along with 50 prominent cities
and 48 countries having touched
over 12 million lives. We want
to take this further by touching
more than one billion lives and
expand the reach of telehealth
services.
• Touched over 12 million lives
(11 million in the last four years)
• Delivers more than 20,000
clinical transactions daily
including Consultations,
Counselling, C-SAT, Lab
Investigations, Eye Screening,
Quality Audits and Training
Sessions.
• World’s first V-SAT enabled
Tele-Emergency and Tele-
Specialty services in remote
locations of Himalayas at a
height of 14,500 ft above sea
level. More than 1300
emergency cases handled and
20,000+ tele-specialty
consultations provided till date.
• Largest Public Private
Partnership with Governments.
Over 700 centres across India
having delivered more than 10
million teleconsultations.
• Widespread 110 teleclinics in
17 countries, more than one
million teleconsultations
provided across 95 specialties.
• More than 1.5 million NCD
screening done in 15 cities of
India and 10,000+ CME’s and
Social Health Education were
delivered.
2020, ISSUE - 02, VOLUME - 11 INSIGHTS CARE | 21
24. or businesses to stay relevant in
Fthese times of change, adapting
technology innovation is the
only way. This is true for healthcare as
it is for education as well as other
service-based industries. The young
generation - the digital natives - have
grown up finding everything online,
buying online, keeping friendships
online, and working online. Imagine
such a digital native looking after their
children’s health by having to fill in
paper-based forms, making appoint-
ments via phone calls and having to
drive to doctors and pharmacies just to
get a panadol. It’s completely alien to
them.
The future of healthcare is digital. The
current pandemic has further shown
that the future of healthcare is hybrid.
Telehealth services will help us do
what we can online, and this includes
seeing clinicians online via video calls.
Face-to-face consultations will remain
important, but only for procedures that
cannot be done remotely and require
actual touch. Businesses that embrace
telehealth are thriving through the
crisis, while those that continue
working as before are struggling.
Foreseeing the change, ,Coviu
Australia’s leading video telehealth
platform, was created to transform the
healthcare industry. The entire team is
passionate about breaking down the
barrier of distance and enabling fair
and equitable access to healthcare for
everyone.
Digital Solutions
Coviu is built specifically for
healthcare, and its digital workflows
are tailored to replicate existing ‘brick
and mortar’ processes of healthcare
businesses. One can schedule appoint-
ments, take ‘walk-ins’ with the
customizable waiting area, take patient
payments, and manage multiple virtual
clinics under one account with
administrative capabilities. The
platform is HIPAA compliant and
complete with end-to-end and
peer-to-peer encryption, keeping
sensitive patient data safe.
Coviu is more than just a video call.
The platform is equipped with in-built
clinical tools, tailored to the practitio-
ners’ speciality. The platform allows
one to level up their telehealth game,
by sharing resources, performing
clinical assessments, using artificial
intelligence diagnostic tools and more.
An Erudite Leader
Dr. Silvia Pfeiffer is the CEO &
Co-founder of Global. Silvia isCoviu
a repeat entrepreneur, previously
having founded a Web video analytics
company and now Coviu, a telehealth
turnkey solution for private practice.
Silvia has more than 20 years of
experience with Web video businesses
having worked in technology
innovation for Google, Mozilla,
NICTA, and CSIRO. She co-edited the
standards that made video a prime
citizen of the Web and underpin not
just the likes of Netflix and YouTube,
but also her startup . Silvia has aCoviu
PhD in computer science, a masters in
business management, has published
two books on HTML5 video and
recently one for healthcare businesses
to help them set up video consultations
sustainably.
Coviu was first created within the
Australian research organisation
CSIRO as part of research into
telehealth delivery platforms. Working
closely with clinicians, foundCoviu
that existing consumer video calling
software and corporate video
conferencing applications were not
sufficient for healthcare services. Not
only do they not satisfy the stringent
security and privacy requirements of
healthcare businesses, but they miss
important business functions such as
collecting payments, making
appointment bookings, gathering
patient consent, and speciality specific
add-ons. Silvia and her co-founder and
CTO Nathan Oehlman, set about
co-creating Coviu with the input of
clinicians and healthcare businesses
and spun the company out of
Data61/CSIRO with the support of
venture capital investment in May
2018.
22 | INSIGHTS CARE VOLUME - 11, ISSUE - 02, 2020
25. Kathy Matheson, Psychologist and Founder of
Karepsych
“We left Canberra in February 2020, moving our entire
client base and administration team into a virtual health
space. While we were initially met with some trepida-
tion, the feedback we have since received has been
extremely positive. Our clients find the entire experi-
ence easy, engaging, and trouble-free. No more parking
fees or travel time! has helped us achieve ourCoviu
goal, allowing the Karepsych to practice the opportu-
nity to become location independent and distributed
workforce. They have consistently provided a reliable,
fit for purpose video consultation and telehealth
service.”
Dr. Silvia Pfeiffer
CEO & Co-founder
I wanted healthcare
to be ready for the 21st
century, but to maintain a
human connection in an
age when everything’s
going digital.
Clients Affirm
Marion Adeney-Steel, Clinical Lead Physiotherapist at
Remedy Healthcare
“The global pandemic has given us the leverage we
needed to get a fully functioning and effective
telehealth service offering in place. Now that we’ve
seen first-hand the ease and successful outcomes that
telehealth - specifically video consultations - can bring
not only to our patients but also to our staff, I can’t
imagine a world without it. Our healthcare system is
forever changed - we will never go back entirely to face-
to-face consultations.”
2020, ISSUE - 02, VOLUME - 11 INSIGHTS CARE | 23
26. The Pandemic Rush
When Medicare reimbursements for
telehealth were announced on the 13th
March in Australia, scaled fromCoviu
doing 400 video visits a day to 25,000
a day within 3 weeks. This meant that
the company had to scale in three
dimensions:
● Infrastructure: had to scale onCoviu
technology. Being in AWS, Coviu
was prepared for this and could make
use of the horizontal and vertical
scalability functionality of AWS.
● Team: With so many clinicians
asking how they could changeCoviu
their business and adopt telehealth, it
had to answer up to a thousand
enquiries a day. So, scaling the team
came next with quick hiring and
even quicker training. “We hired a
dozen people within two weeks and
we brought up the number of staff
from 7 pre-pandemic to 30 during
the crisis. I’m still impressed by the
quality of staff that we hired in such
a short time - most are still with us
and focus on other work now,” says
Silvia.
● Business: also had to considerCoviu
how it would scale as a business to
survive through this crisis. The firm
was fortunate that its business model
was already in place, so it was taking
payments from clinicians in a fully
automated way. Everything was set
up for scaling already and it didn’t
run out of money.
Telehealth is Here to Stay and
Thrive
Telehealth is only at the beginning of
its integration into healthcare across
the world. “People are still focused on
seeing their clinicians in person. For
some types of consultations that is
necessary. However, things are
changing. More devices and different
tools are being developed that will
make it easier for these consultations
to move online. I foresee that every
person will have several small clinical
devices at home to enable telehealth,”
asserts Silvia.
She continues, “I foresee the creation
of small home clinics. I believe that
this is what COVID-19 has set us up
for. Increasingly more consultations via
video are held from home and they are
starting to create a change in the way
we provide care.”
An Expert’s Advice for the Novice
The healthcare industry is not a simple
industry to build a business in. In
healthcare, there is a separation
between the people that receive the
care and those that pay for it. Most
often, the payers are insurers or the
government. So, the entrepreneur has
to convince both that what he/she is
providing is valuable.
Another challenge in healthcare is the
regulatory aspects. These are much
more rigorous in healthcare than in any
other industry - and rightly so: after all,
it’s about human lives. Regulatory
systems in healthcare are typically
limited to country borders. So, even if
one finds a scalable business for one
country in healthcare, it might not
easily apply to another country. So, one
needs to have a good understanding of
the healthcare system and the potential
business models in the different
countries targeted. All of this in
addition to being persistent because
people are highly averse to change in
healthcare.
The advantage of working in
healthcare, however, is that you are
making a direct impact on peoples’
lives. It is a highly rewarding area and
very motivational for everyone
involved.
Silvia’s final piece of advice is a bit
more general: “don’t be too scared of
making mistakes. Some of the best
business models have come off the
back of failure. When you know what
doesn't work, you’re one step closer to
finding something that does, as long as
you treat it as an opportunity to learn
and grow.”
What Next for Coviu
Telehealth is only at the beginning of
its integration into healthcare in
Australia and across the world. Coviu
has big plans to further humanise
technology through telehealth. Key
technology developments need to be
servicing, not replacing humans.
Artificial intelligence tools are
important to relieve medical specialists
of tedious triage work to allow them to
focus on the most challenging cases
that require human lateral thinking.
New models of care will lead to more
diversification of clinical jobs to allow
nations to deal with the onslaught of
chronic illnesses coming through aging
populations. All of this can be
integrated into virtual care and
telehealth. This is where plans toCoviu
make a difference.
In 10 years, Silvia expects to beCoviu
the communication centre for
healthcare businesses. Whether a
clinician needs to talk to a patient,
provide group therapy, needs to meet
with a peer, or needs to join a company
meeting – it will all be taking place in
the same virtual clinic location that is
provided through . “We will be aCoviu
hub for enabling digitally transformed
healthcare businesses,” concludes
Silvia.
24 | INSIGHTS CARE VOLUME - 11, ISSUE - 02, 2020
28. QARE
ver the past few years and specially in the past few
Omonths, telemedicine and telehealth solutions have
found themselves in favor from both patients and
medical practitioners. If trends are to be believed, telehealth
solutions are poised for more growth and a stronger
presence.
France-based Qare is among the prominent providers of
care and telehealth solutions. Qare’s mission is to give
patients better access to quality healthcare, through a
comprehensive digital healthcare platform that answers
patients’ needs.
The company leverages technology to enhance the quality
of care. Serving patients, physicians and organisations in
France, it offers the best integrated care possible. Qare
addresses this through teleconsultations 7/7, of course, but
also by working on prevention and follow-up. It also
provides, through enterprises, healthcare programs that
address specific needs.
More about Qare from Oliver Thierry, President & CEO
through the following interview.
What are the prominent solutions and products, that
make your company stand out from the competition?
Qare is the truly « medical approach » telemedicine service.
For patients, leveraging telemedicine, Qare provides better
healthcare services to patients who need it through:
Ÿ A large pool of quality, diverse health professionals
assembled, continuously trained and coached.
Ÿ A superior teleconsultation product through great user
experience and feature-depth.
Ÿ A good understanding and management of the patient,
through unified patients’ medical record, data collection
and mining.
Our healthcare practitioners are a key part of our service,
they are our cornerstone provider. We enlist quality
healthcare professionals that we train, support and follow,
in order for them to deliver the best possible quality
medical service through our solution. We cater to
physicians that are ready to commit sizable time and effort
to patients using Qare. Qare attracts liberal and non-liberal
healthcare professionals alike.
Qare will complement it’s telemedicine strategy by a
territorial presence strategy, through its own Healthcare
Centers, in order to enable genuine online-to-offline offer.
Virtual first, but with the possibility of an in-person follow-
up when necessary, thus contributing to its better healthcare
value proposition.
This goes together with the deployment of Qare’s
telemedicine offering in local points of care – such as
pharmacies, that will enable assisted teleconsultations and
enhance remote medicine for a better care all over the
country.
Taking into consideration, the current pandemic, and its
impact on global economies, how are you driving your
organization to sustain operations and ensuring safety
of your employees at the same time?
From an operational standpoint, we have everybody in our
teams working from home for some time. Our offices in
Paris remain opened for those who prefer to go to work (but
this is not mandatory). Wearing a mask is required at all
times in our offices, and there can be no more than 30 % of
employees at the same time.
While this is expected to be less optimal for collaboration,
we estimate that our business will not be materially
adversely affected, since ours is a service, technology and
knowledge business.
We work closely with all the managers to maintain and
Patient-oriented Quality Healthcare Programs
26 | INSIGHTS CARE VOLUME - 11, ISSUE - 02, 2020
29. Olivier Thierry
President & CEO
Olivier Thierry,
President & CEO, Qare,
has had more than 20
years of experience in
high-tech, high-growth
companies. He grew
up with doctors in his
family and it was
important to him to
work in a company
that helps people
improve their way of
life. Health is the main
driver of people’s
quality of life and
happiness. There is no
more important goal.
Before Qare, Olivier
was COO and B2B
Director of TheFork &
TripAdvisor
Restaurants, and prior
that, Global VP in
tele-sales at SAP. He
started his career at
McKinsey, working on
four continents, more
specifically in Media,
Telecom, and
Corporate Finance/
M&A & Private Equity.
ABOUT THE LEADER
Interview with Insights Care
2020, ISSUE - 02, VOLUME - 11 INSIGHTS CARE | 27
30. grow social relationships amongst all the teams, even
remotely, since we had to scale-up very fast since the
beginning of the pandemic.
What do you think could be the future of Telehealth
technologies and solutions market post the COVID-19
pandemic?
What we’re seeing is that a lot of people and companies,
who previously were hesitant about adopting this new
healthcare practice and possibly were not viewing it as an
urgent need, are now jumping in without hesitation.
Telehealth has gained a lot of media attention too, meaning
now every patient and physician knows what is it, what are
the benefits of it and what are the key providers in France
(amongst whom Qare).
From a business standpoint, this has increased the volume
of our activity a lot, stretching our teams. We were already
in a strong, double-digit, month-over-month growth, but the
pandemic has increased our growth by an additional 25
percentage points roughly.
We observe a strong increase of teleconsultations across all
specialties, which shows that people are not just going to
teleconsultation for matters related to the Covid-19 but
mainly for other matters, adopting the teleconsultation
practice as a whole. We also observed that older patients
(50+ years old) turn to telehealth.
What would be your advice to the emerging
entrepreneurs aspiring to enter into the healthcare
industry?
There is probably no better mission. Be advised, though,
that things take time, in this space, that conservatism and
regulatory barriers are many, and that you need to be patient
for things to happen. The time frames are longer than in
other industries. And no matter how creative or bold you
are, you will need to remain cautious and thorough.
Because of its potentially high-impact on people’s life, you
cannot cut corners and play it like an amateur.
Where do you envision your organization to be in the
long run and what are your future goals?
We will further build on already existing assets that
differentiate us from other players:
Ÿ A strong brand which relies on superior and qualitative
user experience for patients and physicians, through an
emphasis on…
Ÿ Product development
Ÿ Support services (both for patients and physicians)
Ÿ Training & coaching (of physicians)
Ÿ A close monitoring of operations, quality and
satisfaction along the whole user experience chain.
Ÿ A definitive “medical” positioning and capabilities,
through the involvement of doctors in the design of our
roadmap of services and in all major or ongoing
decisions made by the company, as has been the case
since the beginning.
Ÿ Partnering with other players in the medical and health-
tech world, in order to enhance our value proposition
and to extend our reach.
Ÿ Emphasizing certain specialties, such as mental health,
and developing health packages and programs for
specific life moments or conditions.
Ÿ Decision-making support tools, information and
transparency for patients and doctors, helping them to
make the right choices by and for themselves. A strong
emphasis on data mining and insights.
From patients : “This app has
changed my life! I can access a
doctor easily when I need it,
without having to go there, and
receive quality healthcare”
From physicians : “I can serve
additional patients whenever and
wherever I want it, without hassle
and with tools that allow me to
deliver an ever better healthcare”
From Enterprises : “I can keep my
employees present, productive
and engaged, through
maintaining a good physical and
mental health”
28 | INSIGHTS CARE VOLUME - 11, ISSUE - 02, 2020
32. Abhinav is the
Managing Director
of Accurex
Biomedical Pvt. Ltd
and the Secretary
of the Association
of Diagnostic
Manufacturers of
India. He is a
speaker at various
healthcare &
business events.
ABHINAV
MANAGING DIRECTOR
30 | INSIGHTS CARE VOLUME - 11, ISSUE - 02, 2020
33. Many pathology labs have
reported drop up to 70% of
routine tests during the
COVID 19 pandemic.
With a fear of the second wave of
COVID 19 being around the corner,
patients are still delaying their
diagnostics tests.
The reason behind the delays boils
down to fear: According to a
survey, 70% of
consumers say
they are
very or
somewhat concerned about contracting
the coronavirus if they go to healthcare
facilities to receive care for issues not
related to COVID-19. This fear is
translating to lower rates of infectious,
chronic disease diagnostic testing and
preventive health check-ups.
To reverse this troubling trend,
pathology laboratories must take
immediate action to inform patients
that deferring essential diagnostic tests
can pose greater health risks than the
risk associated with contracting the
virus itself. To help, we have
summarized both the potential
precautions that your laboratory
should consider to help assure your
patients, as well as the communication
message for communicating your
laboratories safety protocols to
patients. Here is how to help your
patients overcome these fears.
TOP five things you can do to help
patients overcome their fear of
getting pathology tests done during
COVID:
1. Separate your COVID-related
testing services from your
non-COVID testing.
Patients do not want to walk
into the lab to give COVID sample or
neither encourage this because it has a
huge negative impact on non-COVID
patients. Non-COVID patients seeing
lab personnel in PPE kits collecting
COVID samples adds fuel to their
fears. In fact, non-COVID patients will
often ask, I hope that your lab is not
collecting COVID samples. So, assure
them that your lab is not collecting
COVID samples and you only do it
from home collection or inform them
of some other strategies that you may
follow to mitigate the infection risk as
follows:
• Location: If possible separate the
rooms for COVID and
non-COVID sample collection.
This may not be possible if there is
a space constraint. If there is a
space constraint, there look at an
option to establish special hours for
high-risk patients. This strategy
could be used for scheduled
preventive or follow-up visits for
senior citizens, expectant mothers,
and the immunocompromised.
• Staff: Finally, patients may be
reassured to know that you are
separating COVID testing and non-
COVID testing staff so that those
who test COVID positive
PATIENTS IN NEED OF
DIAGNOSTICS TESTS ARE
AVOIDING PATHOLOGY LABS
DUE TO COVID FEARS
DOCTORS
2020, ISSUE - 02, VOLUME - 11 CARE |INSIGHTS 31
34. patients are not also testing
non-COVID patients.
2. Focus on home collection service
Home delivery services have increased
across all industries due to COVID. In
Pathology also both COVID and
non-COVID patients are more
comfortable with home collections of
samples, laboratories must focus on
building capacity for home
collections. The laboratory may
have to hire and train more
phlebotomist. The phlebotomist is the
face of your laboratory, so it is
important the phlebotomist visiting
the patient’s home is well trained in
blood collection and customer
service. The phlebotomist must be
presentable and be given a smart
home collections kit. The patient will
not be visiting the lab in case of
home collection hence the
phlebotomist is the face of your
laboratory. It is especially important
that Phlebotomists are caring and
understanding while drawing samples
to make the patient feel as comfortable
and at ease as possible. Also, the speed
of home collections will play a key
role in customer satisfaction i.e. how
fast can your phlebotomist reach the
home of the customer after the test is
requested.
3. Strong IT systems
Since home visits will be higher during
the pandemic strong IT systems need
to be built to offer strong customer
service outside the laboratory. There
needs to be an app for the customer to
books their tests, view their
appointments, make their payments,
and review the services. The
phlebotomist must have an app to
capture the sample details so the
pre-analytical errors are reduced.
Finally, there should be a system to
email the reports to the patient since
the patient will not prefer visiting the
laboratory to pick up the reports.
4. Continuously sanitize public
spaces (in plain sight to patients).
Pathology laboratories know the value
of a clean work environment. To ease
patients' minds, take this one step
further and ensure you are cleaning
public spaces—and that you are doing
so in plain sight of patients. For
instance, you can:
• Establish hand sanitizer stations;
• Remove magazines, brochures, and
other frequently touched objects
from common areas;
• Disinfect waiting area chairs, door
handles, etc. continuously
throughout the day; and
• Emphasize that you are sanitizing
rooms and equipment between
patients.
5. Feature images or posters of the
safety precautions your laboratory
has put into place in the waiting
area and sample collection area.
This strategy has been also utilized
by non-healthcare organizations
such as restaurants and shopping
malls to build confidence in the
customer's mind that all safety
precautions are being followed.
In its campaign #AapKiSevaMein Big
Bazaar show the precautions put in
place to keep customers safe and
minimize the risk of contracting
Covid-19.
Patients are putting their lives as a risk
due to the fear of getting infected by
COVID at medical facilities and the
above steps may help calm them and
save their lives by taking important
diagnostic tests. By following the five
steps enlisted above you can make
your patients feel safe to get lifesaving
tests done.
32 | INSIGHTS CARE VOLUME - 11, ISSUE - 02, 2020
36. S
moke and drum-beats were a
way to warn people from afar of
things fatal like enemy attacks
and hordes of wild animals. For things
that needed closer examination as is
the case with medical assistance, what
worked till a while was the age-old
system of meeting in person,
explaining the ailment and getting the
right course of treatment.
Being in close proximity gave the
medical practitioner(MP) a
first-hand understanding of the
situation for the right course of
action. These were to an extent
negated with the arrival of the
telephone which gave MPs leeway in
understanding the situation and
recommending likely cures. This
though, was more prevalent in the case
of known persons and their ailments.
With telecom going digital and live
videos entering the scene, the stage is
now set to move medical assistance
online to a very large extent. Add to
this the advances in digitization and
bandwidth which have brought
center-stage wearables from
head to toe giving humanity the
chance to move the field of healthcare
to the cyberworld.
If these weren’t reason enough to move
things online, along came a pandemic
whose spread could only be controlled
by an act which perfectly
complemented the spread of
telemedicine(TM). Social Distancing.
With in-patient meetings being a big
no-no and most healthcare systems
stretched to their limits, the only option
available to most patients, be it of
Covid-19 infection or other diseases is
telemedicine. We give you a few
scenarios and why the latter is the best
option not just in these times but for all
times!
It helps take away the physical load
from the primary healthcare system
Pandemic or no pandemic, most
health-facilities anywhere in the world
(and more so in underdeveloped parts),
especially those mandated by law and
supported by public money stand
stretched to their limits be it for beds,
specialists, medication, caregivers or
even cleanliness. Taking away a
significant proportion of hospital
visitors thru the online route can help
reduce the burden on a stretched-to-
the-limits facility, and reduce its
chances of avoidable fatalities. In the
case of Covid-19, a significant number
visiting brick-and-mortar health
facilities do so on being confirmed.
With a high percentage of these
needing rest, isolation and prescribed
medication and being outside the
immediate fatalities zone, they can be
handled perfectly well while they stay
at remote locations instead of crowding
designated health facilities. Doing so
would help the healthcare system
concentrate on fatal cases.
For those with associated
morbidities, TM provides for the
essential safe distance and reduces
their chances of being infected had
they visited a medical facility
Experience shows that most Covid-19
casualties had co-morbidities which
include among others diabetes, various
infections, low immunity, heart
conditions etc. These, as a rule, are
said to reduce one’s natural immunity
to fight infections. Bringing them to an
established Health-care facility like a
TELEMEDICINETELEMEDICINETELEMEDICINE
DURINGDURINGDURING
COVID-19COVID-19COVID-19
34 | INSIGHTS CARE VOLUME - 11, ISSUE - 02, 2020
37. hospital that’s choc-a-bloc with all
manner of viruses and pathogens may
prove fatal, more so for those with
compromised immunity. In such cases,
it could make sense to resort to
telemedicine and keep such patients in
safe places while administering
treatments online, with limited on-site
in-person treatment.
With remote locations and
wearables, TM can get all details
online for quick relief
Wearables to combat Covid-19 have
become rampant with data from them
being the resource to predict the onset
of the virus. A report of the Rockefeller
Neuroscience Institute on the Oura
ring, a wearable sleep and activity
tracker in combination with a
dedicated app says that it can measure
vital signs in advance (up to 3 days) of
whether a user could develop Covid-19
symptoms including cough, fever, and
shortness of breath before they
manifested.
DETECT, short for Digital
Engagement & Tracking for Early
Control & Treatment, a study by the
Scripps Research Translational
Institute using devices such as Fitbit,
Apple Watch, and Garmin among
others for tracking heart-rate, activity,
and sleep data and matching it with
Covid-19 symptoms have shown that a
fitness band can predict Covid-19 in
78% of patients studied.
There are concerns though with the
accuracy of wearables as also the high
cost associated with them which deters
most from acquiring them. Despite
these figures, they continue to be one
of the fastest-growing sectors in the
global tech space likely to reach USD
55 billion by 2023 coming on the back
of a 19% CAGR.
Coupled with the right technology in
telemedicine, details from these
devices could help Medical
practitioners treat patients remotely
without the need to visit a medical
facility.
Helps connect with medical
specialists worldwide
Without the need to visit a medical
facility, telemedicine offers patients the
option of consulting any number of
specialists and medical practitioners
worldwide without the need to visit
them in person. This could prove a
boon where one wants to double-check
on any aspect of the treatment. Being
an online approach, it can be expected
to be much cheaper than trying to visit
the same set of specialists in person. It
could also save enormously on time
and patience.
Medical Practitioner even while
remaining away from the scene (as
also being infected), can be part of
the action
On the other side of the table,
telemedicine can help medical
practitioners and those associated with
the field operate from remote locations.
With personnel in the field of
medication being in high-risk category,
those in the field can treat patients
from afar as well, and do so
simultaneously for more than one!
Even those practitioners diagnosed
with Covid-19 – provided they are in a
state to do so, can examine cases
from afar thus boosting the number
of front-line fighters who are
braving the storm and treating those in
need.
Patients can be treated in different
parts of the same facility and reduce
exposure to life-threatening diseases
Telemedicine can help reduce the load
within a medical facility. Patients with
Covid-19, depending upon their
circumstances, co-morbidities and
medical condition, can be shifted to
different parts of a facility or nearby
with the facility of being in constant
touch with a team of medical
practitioners and care-givers through
varied devices including wearables.
Where then is the hitch?
They say that if something is too good
to be true, it could only be a dream
with reality being far removed. That
thankfully isn’t the case with
Telemedicine which never-the-less has
its own set of hitches and glitches
including some mentioned below.
- Patients may still need to come for
testing where they may contract the
disease.
- For patients in severe cases, there
could be no option but an in-person
medical care
- Technology- especially bandwidth
for advanced telemedicine does not
exist in most places. In fact, in some
cases, bandwidth doesn’t allow for
even normal remote patient care
- Procedures to admit patients,
queuing them for consultation,
billing etc are still not up to the mark
- Quality of hardware for correct
remote diagnosis is still an issue.
- Presence of special facilities
including noise-free environment,
lighting etc for better consultation
may not always be available.
Remote Health
2020, ISSUE - 02, VOLUME - 11 INSIGHTS CARE | 35
38. Lise Pape started exploring issues of daily life
with Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis in
2014, whilst studying Innovation Design
Engineering in London, at Imperial College
and the Royal College of Art. She was driven
by personal experience as her father has
Parkinson’s disease and she wanted to create
simple solutions that make a difference,
whilst having no side-effects. Having a close
family member with a movement disorder is
incredibly frustrating, and seeing the
difference her work can have on people’s
lives is what drives her and the team to
innovate.
ABOUTTHE
FOUNDER
INTERVIEW WITH INSIGHTS CARE
36 | INSIGHTS CARE VOLUME - 11, ISSUE - 02, 2020
39. Walk With PathCreating Simple Solutions for Positive Impact
Helping Clients Walk with Confidence
Walk with Path users feel empowered and less
exposed in their daily lives
“This is the furthest I have walked in a day for
years! I use Path Finder to train my walking.” -
Matt Eagles, Manchester UK
“I find it useful when I get stuck. It helps me get
around. Everything flows better.” - Melanie
Powles, London, UK
“Freezing makes me feel vulnerable. Having the
line helps me build up the momentum.” -David
Parrish, London, UK
“
“
We believe in supporting
the ownership of our own
healthcare and enabling
independence for as long
as possible.
2020, ISSUE - 02, VOLUME - 11 INSIGHTS CARE | 37
40. alking steadily is crucial for mobility
Windependence. However, due to old-age,
neurological diseases or some other incidents,
human mobility can be greatly affected. Helping such
people regain mobility and walk with confidence is Walk
With Path, a multi-award-winning company focused on
injury prevention, improved mobility and user-centered
design.
Based out of the UK, Walk with Path Founder and
Managing Director, Lise Pape, shares the details,
inspiration and the future of the company.
Please brief our audience about your company, its
values, vision, and mission.
Walk With Path was founded out of personal experience as
my father has Parkinson’s disease and I wanted to create
simple solutions that make a difference whilst helping
people stay active and mobile. This has driven our vision as
we believe in enhancing human life and shaping the future
world. Our mission is to create inclusive innovations to
make a positive impact.
What are the prominent solutions and products, that
make your company stand out from the competition?
Path Finder is a wearable tech device. It creates visual cues
on the ground using laser projections, in an automated and
hands-free way. Path Finder has improved older people’s
in- and out-of-home mobility globally for over 1000 direct
end users and many others indirectly.
We are currently developing our second device, Path Feel.
Path Feel is an insole that provides vibrational feedback to
the soles of people at risk of falls, such as those with
peripheral neuropathy, who are unable to feel the ground
properly due to a sensory deficit, or those with general
balance issues. By amplifying the sense of touch of the feet
to the ground, users are able to identify accurately when
their feet touch the ground, thereby reducing the sense of
imbalance as well as incidence of falls.
Being an experienced leader, what is your opinion on the
adaptation of newer technological developments to
sustain business competency?
I think it is critical for all businesses to keep abreast of
technological advancements so that products can be
improved in line with innovation. It is also important to stay
in close touch with end users, so that there is a constant
reinforcement that the product meets an actual need.
Taking into consideration, the current pandemic, and its
impact on global economies, how are you driving your
organization to sustain operations and ensuring safety
of your employees at the same time?
Our product development is at a crucial point and it can be
challenging to work remotely and have the same level of
collaboration as a team and resolve issues effectively.
However, the health and safety of our team is the top
priority so we make sure to follow all the government
guidance and have frank and open discussions about it, and
how we feel as a team as the situation changes.
What do you think could be the future of Telehealth
technologies and solutions market post the COVID-19
pandemic?
I think Telehealth will continue growing. Covid has allowed
healthcare systems the opportunity to realise that Telehealth
can work and it has truly spiralled its adoption. This is an
exciting change, and I think that it will also fuel innovation
in the area.
What would be your advice to the emerging
entrepreneurs aspiring to enter into the healthcare
industry?
Healthcare is a challenging area. it requires the alignment of
several elements to become successful, including
engineering, regulatory and reimbursement. The timeframes
are long and I would say that healthcare requires a lot of
patience. It is also a market driven by economics as a
priority over patient benefit, which can be disheartening.
Entrepreneurs looking to enter healthcare need to be aware
of the timeframes and hurdles in the market, and the
necessity of funding to support these steps. However,
saying that I realise that perhaps I would have hesitated to
enter the market if I had known it all upfront. Sometimes
it’s better to discover obstructions as you move along, as
they will seem more possible to overcome.
Where do you envision your organization to be in the
long run and what are your future goals?
We aim to become the mobility company of choice. We are
at a crossroads, where we are also seeking to develop
products outside the medical area to support and impact a
wider population. Our future goal is to become the go-to
expert on mobility within the medical field and of course
the other area that we are developing, which I cannot
discuss as of yet.
38 | INSIGHTS CARE VOLUME - 11, ISSUE - 02, 2020