Motto is the latest startup built at Redesign Health, a New York City-based firm that creates healthcare companies. The startup, which is also based in New York City, launched on Tuesday as a virtual care platform for people with autoimmune and chronic inflammatory conditions.
The startup is one of Redesign Health’s many descendants — the company has spun out more than 40 companies in four years. Others include cancer care technology company Jasper Health, personalized autism care provider Springtide Child Development and digital weight loss startup Calibrate.
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Motto’s name comes from the idea that patients battle autoimmune disease daily and have special needs, according to CEO and Founder Anuj Patel. He said the company “wanted to give patients a daily motto as a reminder to start a journey to improve their health,” in a recent interview.
More than 24 million Americans suffer from an autoimmune disease, and that number is growing, according to the National Institutes of Health.
“The common misconception is that these are a group of conditions that affect the elderly and that’s not at all the case,” said Patel. “The common age groups for diagnosis are between 18 and 29 and again between 40 and 49. Since these are chronic conditions that patients are managing for the remainder of their lives, there are more and more patients that require the specialized care from a board-certified rheumatologist.”
The status-quo in chronic inflammation care leaves patients waiting “months if not years” for a diagnosis and treatment from a rheumatologist, Patel pointed out. Motto was created to increase Americans’ access to care by offering virtual appointments with rheumatologists, condition management services and lifestyle coaching on its telehealth platform.
Each patient on Motto’s platform receives a diagnosis and personalized treatment plan designed by Motto’s clinical team of nurse practitioners, rheumatologists and other physicians. Patients are also paired with a health coach and multidisciplinary care team, which includes a dietitian.
Patients can manage their symptoms by engaging Motto’s app, which includes patient-reported outcome tools to track things like pain and fatigue, as well as measure inflammation. The app also allows patients to chat with their care team.
As for the platform’s lifestyle coaching model, it is based on seven pillars: medication management, diet, physical activity, healthy coping, emotional wellness, sleep, and social support around individual needs. Motto’s lifestyle coaches tailor their guidance around the specific pillars that are most relevant to improving each patient’s condition, according to Patel.
Motto is currently operating as a fee-for-service provider in Texas and California, which were selected because they are the two most populous states. The startup is in-network with major insurers in both states, and cash pay options are available as well, Patel said. Motto plans to expand to additional markets “very soon,” he added.
While the market is flooded with virtual care companies — like Teladoc, PlushCare, MDLive, Folx Health and dozens more — Patel argued that Motto will be able to stand out. He claimed that it is the first virtual care company that focuses on treating autoimmune conditions by combining in-network medical care with personalized lifestyle care.
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