5 Red Hot Healthcare Startups to Keep an Eye On for 2016

The old days of slow and stable are starting to fade as the healthcare industry is experiencing a flood of promising new startups looking to revolutionize the way users interact with healthcare. Where some have questioned the wisdom of obtaining a public health degree online from an online institution such as the University of Arizona, it’s being seen more and more as a viable path to break into a field that was previously almost exclusively the realm of academia and federal funding. The field of healthcare startups is beginning to dramatically expand, and whether you are in the field or just watching from the side lines, here are five companies worth keeping a close eye on.

Accolade

Based out of Seattle, Accolade has recently crashed past the $90 million dollar mark raising money for a system that looks to close the distance between doctors and patients. Investing in data science solutions that serve to both collect relevant data as well as engage patients with their own unique healthcare requirements, Accolade looks to use the data generated to close the inefficiencies of current systems while providing doctors with more accurate and useful information. When all is said and done, this has the potential to eliminate billions of dollars of current spending while improving healthcare service.

WellDoc

Aimed directly at patients living with type 2 diabetes, WellDoc is another data driven startup that seeks to help patients learn and understand how best to manage their health in between doctor visits. By preventing emergencies before they happen, WellDoc stands to significantly reduce the cost and impact type 2 diabetes has on patient’s lives. For those suffering from diabetes, WellDoc may completely change their life.

Augmedix

For a more novel technological focus, Augmedix is working on an augmented reality display system to immediately provide doctors with all of the information that they need. The system uses Google Glass to access electronic files and records at any time without having to stop at secure access stations. Over the course of a 12-hour shift, many doctors find themselves frequently stopping to read or double check file records for patients. Having all of that information ready to privately access at any time and place has been shown free up as much as a third of their time.

Health Catalyst

Looking to trim the healthcare industry from within, Health Catalyst offers a suite of analytical tools that cut through the fog of medical insurance and subsidized pharmaceuticals to help hospitals understand how much procedures actually cost, and how that varies by location. They aim to clarify healthcare management in such a way that hospitals can better direct resources, and update programs that are not performing as well as they should be.

Patients may not hear much of these companies or even directly interact with any of their products, but these companies stand to change the face of the healthcare industry and shave billions of dollars off the cost of providing medical care. Public health as a whole is changing dramatically, and many educational giants have recognized the changing trends, offering programs for students to get a masters in public health online. Whatever happens, it’s clear that we have only just scratched the surface of what’s to come.