The healthcare profession is one of the oldest and most important there is. Society has always held doctors in high esteem, and that is one thing that has not changed, even in the modern digital age. However, the term healthcare covers a far broader variety of sectors and skills than it did 100, 50 or even 10 years ago.
Today, if you want to make your mark in the healthcare sector, it doesn’t mean slogging away for long years at medical school. There is a good range of hospital jobs that do not necessarily demand medical training. And in this entrepreneurial age, it is even possible to set up in business on your own in the healthcare sector – as these remarkable startups from the past couple of years go to show.
Kry
The old iPhone advertisement with the tagline “there’s an app for that” proved highly prophetic. Today there is an app for just about anything you can think of, including getting a medical consultation. This Swedish app allows patients to describe, and even to upload photos of their symptoms, along with pertinent details from their medical history. It then schedules either a drop-in appointment or an online consultation. The on-call doctor can even issue a prescription electronically immediately after making the diagnosis.
Ourpath
This UK-based startup actually launched in 2014, but it raised half a million pounds in venture capital funding last year to really get properly off the ground. The company specializes in helping those with type-2 diabetes to live more rewarding lives through the better management of their condition. Traditional advice regarding diet and exercise is mixed with cutting-edge wearable technology that monitors weight, exercise, sleep patterns and a whole list of other metrics in real time.
Oxford Heartbeat
This exciting project is seeking to solve a very specific problem through clever use of 3D modelling. The NHS currently wastes untold amounts of time and money in corrective procedures for poorly fitted stents. This is not due to medical incompetence, it is simply the case that getting the right stent is very much a case of making a visual judgement. The company’s founder, Katerina Spranger, has developed software that can turn 2D medical scans into 3D models, allowing surgeons to make a more informed decision on the type of stent that will be most appropriate.
Selfapy
This German startup was the brainchild of Nora Blum and Farina Schurzfeld. It is based closely on the social media model that is now such an intrinsic part of our lives, and provides a platform for individuals to get the help, support and counselling they need in times of medical, personal or even professional crisis. The platform is completely anonymous and offers a range of useful nine-week courses that help users negotiate a number of conditions. As well as supporting individuals, it has also been adopted by several major commercial outfits as a component of their corporate wellness programs.