Reachify, a health tech start-up founded by orthopedic surgeon Erik Stark, MD, and plastic surgeon Richard Balikian, MD, emerged from beta mode March 28, Xconomy reports.
Here are five things to know.
1. Drs. Stark and Balikian founded San Diego-based Reachify in 2015 to offer medical groups a software-as-a-service that consolidates phone, e-mail, social media, and other electronic communications into a centralized hub. The company claims the Web-based technology is secure and compliant with federal standards for protecting patient data.
2. The patient communications software was developed to address issues highlighted in a 2016 Journal of Medical Practice Management study. According to the study, only 4 percent of complaints found in more than 35,000 online patient reviews focused explicitly on medical treatment. The other 96 percent focused on poor customer service due to problems such as inadequate communications, wait times and disorganization.
3. Reachify's technology is designed to enable patients to connect with medical practices through their preferred method of communication, and the technology routes messages to the intended source. For example, a prospective patient inquiry would be sent to the receptionist, while a patient's e-mail regarding test results would go to their physician.
4. The surgeon founders provided much of the $2 million in early funding themselves. Vishal Verma, MD, owner and medical director of San Diego-based Revive Salon and Spa and CEO of NucleusHealth, is the chairman and largest investor in Reachify.
5. Reachify has been testing its technology with medical groups in north San Diego County, including Balikian Facial Plastic Surgery and Revive Salon and Spa.
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