One of the talking points that came out of Stanford Medicine X was that it’s challenging to develop a successful direct to consumer digital health business. A telepsychiatry company founder underscored that point, and shared how it pivoted from a direct to consumer to a business to business model.
Regroup Therapy, a Chicago-based telepsychiatry startup, initially offered an online community for mental health which included video support for support groups and access to individual therapy sessions. But it had trouble attracting users. So instead, the company went after a wider need — providing mental health support, mainly through a primary care setting, said David Cohn, the CEO, in an interview at the Stanford Medicine X conference.
The company also took part in the Startup Showcase at MedCity’s CONVERGE conference earlier this month.
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“We shifted to a model within the four walls of a health entity so patients could immediately connect with a mental health professional, if needed, following their physician visit.” All they need to do is walk next door.
By treating a therapist as a part of a primary care team, Cohn said, it removes the social taboo that many have of seeing help. It has a pool of 2,000 mental health professionals that it provides through a video interaction to support areas with a shortage of trained psychologists to cope with a facilities’ need. Cohn said it provides a wide range of support from depression to crisis stabilization.
The fact that mental health has evolved in a silo separate from other medical conditions has hindered improvements, Cohn observed.
Since January, the company has added six customers. Among its partners are Metro Family Services and it is poised to start a pilot with a Pioneer ACO. Although it has focused on Illinois, Cohn said it is expected to start working with a company that runs for-profit hospitals in Texas and Louisiana.
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Teletherapy companies reason that making therapy available in to people in the comfort of their homes will spur more users to seek mental health counseling. With larger national players to compete with such as MD Live and Healthspot, which are aligned with big box retailers Walgreens and Rite Aid respectively, supporting healthcare facilities struggling to provide mental health professionals is a logical move.