1EQ, a D.C.-based health startup that is part of the
GE Startup Health incubator program, is about to begin demo-ing its health care dashboard with the obstetrics department at George Washington University Hospital, the first large-scale pilot for the company.
The pilot, scheduled to start Feb. 17, comes shortly after the startup's December announcement of $900,000 in funding from from Kensington Partners and the Ense Group, bringing the startup's total to roughly $1.1 million. Anish Sebastian, cofounder and CEO of 1EQ, says that the company has also narrowed its focus and made changes in its consumer-facing product to better serve its clients.
1EQ aggregates an individual's health data, both from a physician's chart and from a consumer's input (Fitbit, blood pressure monitor, etc.), and creates a list of actionable steps to help an individual achieve better health. After speaking with a number of early users, 1EQ has made some changes.
"We [initially] released our product to 200 people," Sebastian explains. "They were very excited. We got a lot of attention on the consumer [side of the] website, and then that engagement trailed off. So we sent a survey to find out what was valuable [about our product].
"We realized that while health care data is great, actionability is a lot more important," Sebastian says. "It's important not to ignore the provider—the nurse, doctor or patient's assistant—the third party who drives the decision making. We took that and learned from it."
In addition to deciding to strengthen the weight of its healthcare recommendations by looping in a user's health care providers, the company also chose to narrow its focus for now to first-time mothers. "It's a defined time period, and first-time moms are an engaged population," Sebastian says.
First-time mothers also "create a logical flow into the next pathway of pediatrics, internal medicine and family care," explains Tim Barnes. Barnes was recently hired as 1EQ's CTO; he was previously the vice president of user experience at
Audax Health, another buzzy D.C. health startup.
1EQ now has two different dashboards—one for health-care providers and one for consumers. The two are integrated; once a doctor or nurse enters patient data, consumers see a list of five to seven steps that they can take to achieve better health. "We're talking, 'Walk around the block once a day,' not 'Lose 50 pounds," says Sebastian. Or for a pregnant mom, the list might include when and how to measure blood pressure, guidelines for nutrition and exercise, and more.
When a user completes an action item, she checks it off. A clinician can see when a patient is (or isn't) making progress on the list of steps.
The pilot could open doors for the growing company. "In the next one to three months, we're looking for results of improved patient care in the patients at GW," Sebastian says. "MedStar and Inova are waiting for us to show that it works."
And the capital? "I'm really excited," Sebastian continues. "The new raise means no pitching for the next six to eight months."