

Any startup tackling healthcare? - rokhayakebe

Startups launch here very week. We see messaging, productivity, ad networks, etc...I am wondering if your strartup or one that is close to you is changing the world by tackling the Health industry. Thank you all
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linhir
I was actual talking with a nursing friend about this idea today. The troubles
are numerous. Firstly, the best adopters of a health care product would be
hospitals, which are big, numerous and have some money. However, they have
also proven to be terribly slow adopters of technology, even when it could
help, overly bureaucratic, and are often unwilling to use webapps due to
privacy concerns.

I remember reading somewhere (in a book by Taleb or Gladwell, or in a TEDTalk)
that there are revolutionary apps that are used for diagnostics, as doctors
screw up constantly. Those programs, I believe, are made by big health
companies, which presumable have the data and expertise.

Separate from hospitals, we have private practice doctors. I'm not sure what
space there is for startups on the needs of doctors. Obviously someone could
likely make a lot of money if they could centralize billing and invoices in a
manner better than HMOs, but I'm not sure what you would do.

Having said that, Paul Graham says a great startup provides a simple solution
to an overlooked problem (etc) so I think there is a lot to be done here.

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froo
_Separate from hospitals, we have private practice doctors. I'm not sure what
space there is for startups on the needs of doctors. Obviously someone could
likely make a lot of money if they could centralize billing and invoices in a
manner better than HMOs, but I'm not sure what you would do._

Depending on the practise, I believe there is plenty of room for something
that can make a doctor's life easier. Perhaps some way of organising
information and programs easier in a more logical manner?

I know my doctor has a desktop that is literally full with icons of various
programs and resource links etc and I'm sure there are many others out there
that are probably in the same boat that could benefit from something better.
His particular practise serves most of its resource information off a central
server so that all of the doctors that work there can access that information.

Just throwing some quick ideas out there, what about a Digg-like site for
medical professionals? Something that automatically scrapes/submits
information from various medical journal sites online so that medical
professionals can work out relevancy for themselves?

Offtopic point: I have a very good relationship with my doctor and we've often
talked about technology before in my past visits as that is one of his other
hobbies, so I made sure to consult with him when I came up with my idea to see
if he thought it was a viable solution to the problem we are tackling, so yeah
- there is definitely room.

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aamar
I worked for years for a internet-healthcare startup building a webapp for
physician practices, with lots of attention to billing. After a successful
IPO, a couple of us have branched out to a new company
(<http://www.mariahealth.com>) trying to improve the user experience of
healthcare.

Regulations need to be considered, but a bigger challenge is that many
powerful players (e.g. hospitals, health insurance cos.) who you often need to
work with and can be risk-averse or capricious with respect to technology and
startups. But that situation has improved hugely over the course of the last
year or two.

As a result it seems like a good time for startups. Especially in the U.S.,
but not only there (differences between different countries health systems are
often exaggerated). I doubt there's an industry where it's easier to find
problems.

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froo
We have sent in our application to YC for this round for an app we're working
on that will work on tackling some aspects of the health industry.

I'm not sure if we'll get in or not (as we dont have demonstrated experience
in the startup world) but we will endevour to get our app released regardless.

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hotpockets
In an informal survey I did, doctors seemed very technophobic. I went to a
teaching hospitals website and brought up a list of new residents. 0/10 were
members of facebook or linkedIn. Compared to my mechanical engineering lab (I
am a graduate student) where it is 5/5.

In my opinion (based on doctors I know), smart people who are technophobic go
into medicine.

But I do agree that this area should have tons of opportunity.

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thorax
We have a site in the pipeline targeting health-related topics, but nothing
that would interface with the Health Industry directly.

I also have Kurzweilian dreams for other ventures, but the regulations are so
daunting that it's so hard to justify exploring healthcare products/services.

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known
In an Indian State there is an interesting Govt sponsored healthcare
<http://aarogyasri.org/>

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kapitti
<http://within3.com> is a local startup in Cleveland that some members hang
out on YC

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agentbleu
revolutionhealth is one that tried with serious finance and backing that seems
to have failed?

~~~
rokhayakebe
if you are referring to <http://www.revolutionhealth.com/>, they seem to have
a traffic nearing 3M uniques a month. That sounds good to me.

