This past year saw our already digital world adjusting to COVID restrictions by shifting anything and everything that was once done on an in-person basis, to virtual operations. Work, happy hours, and birthdays became a series of back-to-back Zoom meetings, as people adopted social distancing protocols in sectors we never imagined. One such field was medicine. Doctors, therapists, and other medical professionals swiftly joined the “new normal” and moved to operating on a telehealth basis. Although the transition was not seamless for every specialty, some were better equipped than others for the change. Opt Health for instance was already set to launch as a telehealth platform in the men’s preventive medicine space, putting it ahead of the curve when it came to merging technology and medicine for a truly life-changing solution.
Being raised by two physicians, co-founder and CTO Greg Tidwell always had a passion for using the principles of nutrition and fitness to optimize his experience, which combined with his love for technology, inspired the innovative platform to come to life at the perfect time. Although the company’s mission is to empower men with tools for longevity and an increase in quality of life by democratizing preventive medicine, it is Opt’s unique technology that really makes it stand out in the telehealth sector. The platform’s dashboard, which Greg developed, provides clients with a comprehensive view of their health in real time. “Using assessments, exams, lab results and data from wearables, each patient has a calculated Opt Performance Score, which is the summation of 6 subcategories of health. Clients can track how they are doing over time across categories and identify paths for improvement in collaboration with their physician,” elaborates Greg.
Opt’s Performance Score gamifies the “getting healthy” process, which on a psychological level works to help motivate men to improve. While this drives the process forward, it’s often the initial appointment with a physician—done through HIPAA-compliant video and chat—that sparks the desire to take control of one's health. Since virtual appointments allow clients to enjoy the benefits of world-class specialists from anywhere in the country without having to take lengthy breaks from work or find care for children, it opens up access to preventive medicine to the majority of men. Without the excuses or the potential stigma associated with seeking treatments like testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in-office, this COVID-safe option is ideal for those who are looking to optimize their health and life, on every level.
Though the consumer-facing sell of Opt Health is clear, the platform makes sure to cater to doctors’ needs as well. In addition to easing communication between them and their patients, there’s also a “doctor UX that gives physicians access to all the information they need to monitor a patient’s health: labs, exams, data from wearables, food diaries, etc. Physicians can be alerted to any issues or deviations from the patient plan and goals, as they arise,” notes Greg. As if the tech-forward company wasn’t impressive enough, Opt is currently developing a new and exciting feature: a virtual health coach that will be integrated with Alexa to ensure clients stay on track and accountable on their journey.
Opt Health is here to revolutionize the field of preventive medicine by constantly putting their clients’ needs first, and continuing to innovate the platform. It turns out that Greg, besides acting as CTO, is actually an Opt client. “I feel fantastic and couldn’t be more excited to share in this experience with our clients,” he says with enthusiasm. If the co-founder not only stands behind his company, but actually uses it himself, you know it’s worth a try.
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