Quick, name the top three frustrations of going to see a doctor... If your answers are anything like mine, you said - inconvenient scheduling, long waits and questioning whether you got what you paid for.
RetraceHealth, a Beta.MN-1.0 start-up, has set out to solve these problems (and more) via an online platform that enables you to set up professional care visits on your time and in the comfort of your home. Too good to be true? Watch this visit get scheduled in under 40 seconds: RetraceHealth in action.
Pretty cool stuff. So, where did it come from? We asked that, and other questions, to RetraceHealth Founder and CEO - Thompson Aderinkomi.
Reed: Thompson, why did you start your company?
Thompson: Over the course of a month, my wife and I had to take our one-year-old to the doctor four times. On the first visit my family was sent home without doing anything. The second visit occurred because of a nurse's concern, yet the clinic did nothing and explained that my child would recover naturally. On the third visit my child was diagnosed with pneumonia. The fever and cough came back after the anti-biotic was used up, resulting in a fourth visit. In total, this entire mis-adventure cost $664.28, out-of-pocket.
There is no reason that this entire episode should have cost more than $100. That is why RetraceHealth was born. By cutting out the waste in the healthcare system; primary care and preventative medicine can be made affordable to every man, woman and child in this country.
Reed: So, where are you at? Any recent successes or milestones hit?
Thompson: For our proof of concept, which started in October 2013, we were selling entirely direct to consumers. We recently moved our focus to selling RetraceHealth as a subscription to employers because we believe that will be a faster path for growth. On January 2, 2014 we sold our first employer group - a NE Minneapolis Church called Mill City Church purchased full RetraceHealth memberships for all of their staff.
Reed: That's awesome, congrats! Say those successes continue, where do you see your start-up one year from now?
Thompson: This is my big crazy dream for RetraceHealth... In one year RetraceHealth will have 20,000 subscription paying patients who are healthier, happier and more financially secure because of our company. Most patients will have their subscription subsidized by his/her employer.
We will have roughly 40 medical providers directly employed, or in our affiliated network. Our technology platform will have been launched pairing a proprietary medical-decision-making tool with our virtual scheduling software, that will eventually be sold as a packaged application that is licensed to other medical practices, in addition to being used internally at RetraceHealth.
Reed: Truly exciting stuff, Thompson. Beta-MN wishes you all the best!
Want to more about RetraceHealth? Buy your ticket to 1.0 now, or go for FREE with a Tweet, and you can ask Thompson anything you want... about his company, c'mon!
