NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CheckedUp™, a New York City-based healthtech startup, announced today that it will be launching its first mobile health platform for ophthalmologists and ophthalmic patients in the first half of 2014.
The CheckedUp platform was designed to enhance the quality and efficiency of doctor-patient communication. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), affecting upwards of 30 million new patients, will place an unprecedented pressure on practices to provide high quality care under increasing time constraints. Busy doctors running high volume practices have less time to spend on individual patients, affecting clinical outcomes.
“The demands on consultation and caregiving are rapidly increasing due to recent legislation, the growing tide of baby-boomers, and improved surgical options for patients,” said Richard Awdeh, M.D., CEO and Founder of CheckedUp.
“Our goal is to make the care process as transparent as possible. Mobile technology has revolutionized the way that we communicate within our communities, yet communication so crucial to modern healthcare continues to lag.”
CheckedUp supplements the patient’s office visit by providing ongoing education and communication customized by a patient’s doctor, at every step in the care process, from the initial consultation to postoperative follow-ups. The product’s platform includes a proprietary suite including: Digital Healthcoach™, Medical Alert™, Patient Play™, and Rx-Ready™, in which patients can customize how they want to navigate their care and digital relationship with their healthcare provider. The software automatically alerts the patient’s doctor about their preferences, so that in-person consultations can be more personal and productive.
The CheckedUp platform leverages the growing use of mobile technology among both older adults and doctors. “The use of mobile technology has made patients both more empowered and less anxious. With the troves of inaccurate information available online, it is more crucial than ever, that patients have access to their doctors’ opinions and treatment recommendations. CheckedUp makes this possible for the first time,” said Dr. Awdeh.
CheckedUp’sTM Clinical Trial: Examining the Use & Effectiveness of mHealth Technologies
In order to determine the adoption rates and effectiveness of mHealth platforms, for both doctors and baby boomers, CheckedUp is conducting a multi-site, IRB-approved clinical study of its platform in high volume ophthalmic clinics. Currently both quantitative and qualitative data have been collected from over 300 patients and physicians in order to demonstrate the value of mHealth technologies in the clinical setting.
The preliminary results indicate that not only are mHealth adoption rates higher than expected, but that the CheckedUp platform is strengthening the communication channel between physicians and their patients. “Overall, this growing body of data confirms that patients who use CheckedUp are more informed about their condition, better equipped to make choices about their surgery options, and better able to adhere to care instructions in the postoperative period,” said Dr. Awdeh.
CheckedUp announced today plans to launch its mobile health platform in 50 ophthalmic clinics nationwide. The company’s technology team will work closely with physicians and clinical staff to enhance their software, implementation strategies, and establish a best practice fit for each clinic.
About CheckedUp:
CheckedUp extends the doctor-patient relationship beyond office walls. This proprietary, educational platform facilitates and enhances communication between doctors and patients at each stage in the care process. CheckedUp empowers patients to play an active role in their care by providing them with customized content from their healthcare provider (HCP) on relevant procedures and products.
CheckedUp was founded by Richard Awdeh, M.D., who is currently the Head of Executive Medicine at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, the US News & World Report’s #1 ranked Eye Hospital in the U.S., and the CEO of Cirle, a health and biotech incubator based in Miami.
CheckedUp’s Medical and Strategic Advisory Board consists of some of the leading ophthalmologists in the country and the CEOs of several publicly traded Fortune 100 companies. More information on CheckedUp is available at www.checkedup.com.
