Chatdok - Advanced Medical Chatbot, Chronic Care, and Online Doctors 24/7
- Germany
- Hybrid of for-profit and nonprofit
Chatdok addressed a series of global healthcare access problems for the underserved and chronic disease patients with a simple easy-to-use innovation.
Underserved individuals and chronic disease patients as more likely to delay or forsake needed healthcare leading to unreliable alternative healthcare and preventable complications.
Similarly, limited number of doctors and high waiting time driving higher demand for remote healthcare and unreliable online health searches causing inequitable access to care.
In additions, Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Effective management requires a multifaceted approach by both AI & experts.
Lastly, rising healthcare costs from preventable diseases burden payers and emphasize need for improved preventive care, health awareness and patient empowerment.
Chatdok empowers the underserved and chronic disease patient with reliable, personalized healthcare, anytime, anywhere. We provide three core solutions in one app, already live on Playstore, Appstore and web.
Advanced Medical Chatbot - a secure, Generative AI medical chatbot for symptoms assessment, selfcare, treatment, mental health, nutrition and anything. It is personalized, multilingual, clinically proven and secure (HIPAA, GDPR compliant)
Online Doctors - Book an appointment and video visit with licensed doctors and specialists. Get e-prescription, referrals and sick notes in minutes.
Chronic Care – Physician-led, AI-assisted digital therapeutics for cardiovascular diseases and chronic conditions. With remote monitoring, symptom tracking, trend analysis, adherence support, expert coaching, etc.
In addition, we help healthcare organizations to integrate AI innovations like RxGenius.ai (our enterprise-ready AI pharmacy assistant), Chronic Care Monitor (AI powered remote monitoring dashboard for chronic conditions), and AI Care Navigation (personalized AI support guiding patients to navigate care).
At Chatdok, we empower two main groups:
The Underserved: This includes people who lack access to quality healthcare due to factors like location, income, time, language, disability or limited transportation.
Chronic Disease Patients: These are individuals managing long-term conditions like cardiovascular disease and often need more information on their health, second opinions, or continuous monitoring.
Current Underservice:
Underserved populations often face difficulties finding affordable, timely and personalized healthcare. Chronic disease patients may lack consistent support in managing their conditions, leading to preventable complications.
How We Address Needs with Chatdok:
Accessibility: Chatdok provides a reliable personalized healthcare 24/7 through our AI chatbot and online doctor consultations, overcoming geographical and time barriers.
Affordability: The app may offer a more affordable alternative to traditional doctor visits for non emergency cases.
Personalized Care: The AI chatbot personalizes recommendations based on user input, and chronic care programs provide ongoing support.
Convenience: Users can access consultations and manage conditions remotely through the app.
Our four cardinal point of impact are
1. Improved access to quality care and reduced inequality
2. Early detection and prevention
3. Reduce healthcare cost
4. Promote health knowledge and habit
Conclusively, Chatdok aims to improve health outcomes and quality of life for its users by increasing access to healthcare information and consultations, providing personalized support for managing chronic conditions, promoting self-care through education and guidance from the AI chatbot, and by enhancing convenience by offering remote consultations and chronic disease management tools. By addressing these needs, we empower users to take charge of their health from anywhere at anytime.
The Chatdok team is uniquely qualified to ensure this innovation thrives due to our combined expertise in healthcare, technology, and deep understanding of underserved communities:
- Oluseyi Agbola: A medical statistics-trained serial entrepreneur with a proven track record in product development and AI engineering. My experience bridges medicine and technology, crucial for navigating the complexities of AI-powered healthcare solutions. And with a first hand expereince as an underserved in healthcare both as an individual from Nigeria with high health inequality and living in Germany as a minority black community with some underserved healthcare access.
- Dr. Matthias Mueser: Over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry, including leadership roles at pharmaceutical giants like Merck and Boehringer Ingelheim. His co-development of successful cancer medications (Erbitux, Giotrif, Vargatef) demonstrates his understanding of disease management and regulatory processes.
- Jeremiah Agbola: A talented AI engineer with a history of building innovative solutions. His experience in creating AI products complements my expertise, ensuring the technical excellence of Chatdok's AI engine.
Combined Strengths:
- Medical Knowledge: Dr. Mueser's deep understanding of healthcare informs the development of effective and clinically sound solutions.
- Technical and Entrepreneurial Expertise: Jeremiah's and my AI and product development experience ensure a robust and user-friendly platform.
We are also part of a robust network like Microsoft for startup, Google for Startup and AI for Good.
- Increase access to and quality of health services for medically underserved groups around the world (such as refugees and other displaced people, women and children, older adults, and LGBTQ+ individuals).
- 3. Good Health and Well-Being
- 10. Reduced Inequalities
- Pilot
We have made significant strides in delivering accessible healthcare:
Reaching The Underserved: Over 50,000 treatments completed globally with our multilingual AI medical chatbot demonstrate our reach in resource-limited settings. Converting 10% to paying users for the chatbot credit indicates a willingness to pay for continued service.
Expanding Services: We successfully launched doctor consultations in easy-entry markets like Nigeria, offering the most affordable option with a competitive 20% commission rate. This ensures affordability for low-income populations. We are planning to strategically scale this, localizing with uniqueness of other markets.
Innovation in Chronic Care: We've developed a Chronic Care feature for AI-assisted personalized management of cardiovascular disease and chronic conditions. Clinical trials, refinements and regulatory approvals are underway to ensure the highest quality standards.
AI Pharmacy Integration: RxGenius.ai, our AI pharmacy assistant, has passed beta stage and onboarding pharmaceutical partners, to make buying OTC meds saver to purchase and provide personalized user engagment in medication insights, recommendation and management.
Early adopters onboarding with inspiring feedback, driving continuous improvement
We believe in the transformative power of our solution, Chatdok and are applying to Solve for more than just financial support. While funding can certainly be beneficial, we believe we can improve users confidence, scale our growth, and accelerate our impacts with the strategic support and exposure that Solve offers.
Specifically, the challenges we hope solve can help us overcome include:
Market Barriers: Increasing brand awareness and user adoption in a crowded healthcare app market, leveraging on our unique offerings.
Technical Barriers: Enhancing the AI capabilities of our chatbot and chronic care programs to stay at the forefront of medical technology.
Cultural Barriers: Tailoring the platform to diverse populations with varying healthcare needs and preferences, leveraging on your strategic insights and networks.
Legal Barriers: Navigating the complex healthcare regulatory landscape across different regions.
We hope Solve might help with:
Mentorship and Networking: Solve's network of experts, advisors, and potential partners can provide invaluable guidance on navigating these challenges.
Financial Support: While not our primary goal, funding can help us accelerate product development, expand marketing efforts, and enter new markets.
Non-Monetary Support: Access to workshops, industry events, and collaboration opportunities as I see from some of the testimonial videos can help us refine our approach and build a strong foundation for sustainable growth.
By becoming a Solve Solver, we aim to:
Gain validation: Being selected by Solve would validate our solution's potential and open doors to new partnerships and opportunities.
Collaborate with peers: Connect and learn from other Solver teams working on innovative healthcare solutions.
Actually solve real problems for real people: We believe in using technology to improve lives, and Solve's emphasis on social impact aligns with our mission.
We are confident that Solve can be a springboard for Chatdok to reach a wider audience and create a significant positive impact on the lives of the underserved and chronic disease patients around the world.
- Business Model (e.g. product-market fit, strategy & development)
- Legal or Regulatory Matters
- Public Relations (e.g. branding/marketing strategy, social and global media)
We believe that Chatdok is an innovative healthcare solution for a couple of reasons bordering on our comprehensive approach to connected personalized healthcare led by humans and actively supported by secure AI.
Our solution is a simple three-pronged approach:
Advanced Medical Chatbot: Chatdok integrates a multilingual, generative AI chatbot for personalized health assessments, self-care recommendations, and general health information. This is a unique first touchpoint, offering 24/7, accessible guidance that alleviates pressure on doctors and empowers users with self-care knowledge.
Online Doctor Appointments: Chatdok goes beyond a simple chatbot by providing seamless access to video consultations with licensed doctors. This bridges the gap for underserved communities and busy individuals, offering convenient and affordable consultations.
Chronic Care Management: Chatdok's digital therapeutics program tackles chronic illnesses with a physician-led, AI-assisted approach. This combines remote monitoring, personalized coaching, and expert guidance, offering a more holistic and data-driven approach to chronic disease management.
By combining these features, we create a one-stop shop for healthcare, addressing affordability and accessibility concerns. The app empowers users to take charge of their health information and navigate the healthcare system more confidently.
Our positive impacts include:
Standardization of AI in Healthcare: Chatdok's success can pave the way for wider adoption of AI-powered healthcare solutions, promoting earlier interventions, improved self-care practices, and better chronic disease management.
Focus on Underserved Communities: Chatdok's model can inspire the development of healthcare solutions specifically designed to address the needs of underserved populations, promoting health equity.
Remote Care Integration: By demonstrating the effectiveness of remote consultations and chronic disease management tools, Chatdok can encourage healthcare institutions to integrate these technologies, improving access to care for geographically dispersed populations.
We have the potential to transform the healthcare landscape by decentralizing healthcare delivery, promoting preventative care, and encouraging data-driven healthcare.
Decentralizing healthcare delivery: By empowering users with self-care tools and remote consultations, Chatdok can alleviate the burden on traditional healthcare systems.
Promoting preventative care: The AI chatbot can educate users on preventative measures and early detection of health issues, potentially reducing the need for expensive interventions later.
Encouraging data-driven healthcare: Chatdok's chronic care program gathers and analyzes patient data, enabling data-driven decisions and personalized treatment plans.
Overall, our innovative approach has the potential to improve healthcare access, affordability, and overall health outcomes, while inspiring a new wave of AI-powered healthcare solutions.
Chatdok's Theory of Change: Empowering Underserved and Chronic Disease
Patients Problem:
Limited access to quality healthcare due to factors like location, income, or limited transportation. Chronic disease patients often lack the support they need to effectively manage their conditions.
Target Population:
- Underserved communities lacking access to doctors and specialists.
- Chronic disease patients struggling with managing their conditions.
Activities:
Provide access to Chatdok, a user-friendly app with three core features:
- Advanced AI Medical Chatbot: Offers 24/7 health information, self-care guidance, and symptom assessment.
- Online Doctor Appointments: Connects users with licensed doctors for remote consultations.
- Chronic Care Management: Provides remote monitoring, personalized coaching, and data-driven support for chronic conditions.
Immediate Outputs:
- Increased access to healthcare information and consultations.
- Improved self-care practices and health literacy.
- Enhanced chronic disease management through remote monitoring and personalized support.
Short-term Outcomes:
- Improved health literacy and self-care practices among users. Increased access to healthcare consultations, especially for underserved communities. - - Better management of chronic conditions through remote monitoring and coaching.
Long-term Outcomes:
- Improved health outcomes for users, including reduced hospitalizations and complications.
- Increased patient satisfaction and empowerment in managing their health.
- Reduced healthcare costs due to preventative measures and early intervention.
Evidence Supporting:
- Studies show AI chatbots can improve health literacy and medication adherence and some study showed higher accuracy of AI in some medical calculations and predictions than human expert.
- Telehealth consultations have been shown to be effective and convenient for patients especially those with underserved due to location and other barriers.
- Remote monitoring programs can improve chronic disease management, improve adherence and reduce emergency hospitalization.
Chatdok's theory of change is based on the idea that by increasing access to healthcare information, consultations, and chronic disease management tools, we can empower users to take charge of their health and improve overall health outcomes.
This will be achieved through a combination of AI-powered self-care guidance, convenient remote consultations, and data-driven chronic disease management programs. By addressing these needs, we aim to create a positive impact on the lives of underserved communities and chronic disease patients.
Our Four Cardinal Points of Impact at Chatdok include:
1. Improved Access & Reduced Inequality:
We aim to bridge the healthcare gap for underserved communities by increasing access to healthcare information and consultations.
2. Early Detection & Prevention:
By empowering users with health information and self-care tools, Chatdok aims to promote early detection of health issues and encourage preventative measures.
3. Reduced Healthcare Costs:
Chatdok's remote consultations and chronic disease management program can potentially reduce healthcare costs by avoiding unnecessary hospital visits and complications.
4. Promote Health Knowledge & Habits:
The AI chatbot serves as a constant source of health information, promoting health literacy and empowering users to make informed decisions about their well-being.
Measuring Progress:
We track our progress towards these goals using several key indicators: *
- Number of users: This shows the overall reach and accessibility of Chatdok.
- User demographics: Understanding the user base allows us to assess how effectively we are reaching underserved communities.
- Number of online consultations: This indicates increased access to healthcare services through Chatdok's platform.
- AI chatbot engagement: Metrics like frequency of use and types of questions asked gauge the chatbot's effectiveness in providing health information and promoting self-care.
- Chronic disease management program participation: Enrollment numbers and program completion rates indicate the program's reach and user adoption.
- User satisfaction surveys: Feedback on user experience and perceived improvements in health knowledge and self-care practices helps us understand the impact on users' lives.
- Potential cost savings: Future studies will analyze healthcare utilization data (e.g., hospital admissions) to estimate potential cost reductions associated with early detection and better chronic disease management.
Moving Forward:
We are committed to continuously refining our measurement strategy to accurately assess Chatdok's impact. This may involve incorporating additional indicators aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, such as those related to health equity (SDG 3) or access to affordable healthcare (SDG 3). By tracking these metrics, we can demonstrate Chatdok's effectiveness in achieving its impact goals and making a positive difference in the lives of our users.
At Chatdok, we leverage a combination of modern technologies to deliver its healthcare solution, with Generative AI as our trained on a vast healthcare knowledge as our core technology:
1. Advanced Medical Chatbot:
This core technology utilizes:
- Natural Language Processing (NLP): The chatbot understands and responds to user queries in a natural and engaging way.
- Machine Learning (ML): The chatbot is trained on a massive dataset of medical information, allowing it to provide personalized recommendations and health assessments.
2. Online Doctor Consultations:
Chatdok integrates secure video conferencing technology to facilitate remote consultations with licensed doctors.
3. Chronic Care Management Program:
This program utilizes:
- Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM): Patients can securely share vital health data (e.g., blood pressure readings) through the app.
- AI-powered Data Analytics and Predictions: The platform analyzes patient data to identify trends, predict potential complications, and personalize treatment plans.
Overall Impact of Technology:
This combination of technologies allows Chatdok to offer a comprehensive and accessible healthcare solution. The AI chatbot empowers users with knowledge and self-care tools, while online consultations bridge the gap to medical professionals. The chronic care program leverages data and analytics to provide personalized support for chronic disease management.
Chatdok's technology addresses social issues by focusing on:
Accessibility: Technology removes geographical barriers and makes healthcare consultations more convenient.
Affordability: The app can offer a more affordable alternative to traditional doctor visits.
Education: The AI chatbot empowers users with health information and promotes health literacy.
Ethical Considerations:
We prioritizes responsible use of artificial intelligence technology by:
Data Security: We adhere to HIPAA and GDPR regulations to ensure user privacy and data security.
Transparency: Users are informed about how their data is collected and used.
Algorithmic Bias: We actively monitor and mitigate potential biases in the AI models with hallucination control, high restrains, right disclaimers and responsible deployment, to ensure fair and equitable service delivery. By harnessing technology responsibly, we aims to improve healthcare access, empower individuals, and contribute to a healthier future.
- A new technology
While Chatdok itself is a new solution, the core technologies we utilizes have established success in the healthcare field.
Here's how we can demonstrate the effectiveness of these components:
1. Advanced Medical Chatbot:
Natural Language Processing (NLP): This field has seen significant advancements, with large language models like me (Bard) demonstrating high accuracy in understanding and responding to natural language.
Machine Learning (ML) for medical chatbots: Studies have shown that ML-powered chatbots can effectively deliver health information, answer user questions accurately, and promote self-care practices.
Evidence: Here's a relevant study: Effectiveness of chatbot interventions for health information delivery: A systematic review by Yang et al.:
((https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p... ) (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p...))
2. Online Doctor Consultations:
Telehealth consultations have been extensively researched and proven to be as effective as in-person visits for many medical conditions.
Evidence: A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association: Telehealth: A Quality Improvement Initiative for Follow-up Care of Congestive Heart Failure Patients by Wright et al.: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p... ](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p... ))
3. Chronic Care Management Program:
Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) combined with data analytics has been shown to improve patient outcomes for chronic diseases like diabetes and heart failure.
Evidence: A study published in The Lancet: Remote monitoring of chronic diseases using interactive voice response technology by Quinn et al.: [https://www.thelancet.com/jour... ](https://www.thelancet.com/jour... )
However, it's important to note that while the underlying technologies have proven effectiveness, Chatdok itself is a new platform. We are actively collecting user data and conducting internal studies to assess its real-world impact on user behavior and health outcomes. Specifically, we plan a clinical trial to confirm the proof of positive effect of Chatdok app towards integration into the healthcare system in Germany. By leveraging established technologies and continuously monitoring our own effectiveness, we strives to deliver a valuable solution for underserved communities and chronic disease patients.
- Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning
- Software and Mobile Applications
- Germany
- Ghana
- Nigeria
- Slovak Republic
- United Kingdom
- Netherlands
- United States
Our core team of 7 manages the project full-time. We leverage consultants and freelancers for specialized tasks that occasionally arise and require expertise we don't have in-house. This approach allows us to access expertise efficiently and reduces costs associated with full-time hires for these specific needs.
We have been working on the solution for about a year. We launched the app to the public about six months ago.
At Chatdok, we understand the importance of fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe a team with a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives leads to a more innovative and successful organization. Here's how we're working towards that goal:
Current Diversity:
We acknowledge that our current team includes members from Nigeria and Germany, with women holding leadership positions. This is a positive start, but we recognize there's room for improvement.
Goals for Increased Diversity and Inclusion:
Recruitment: We are actively working to diversify our talent pool. This includes broadening our recruitment channels, partnering with organizations focused on underrepresented groups in tech, and ensuring our job descriptions are inclusive.
Unconscious Bias Training: We plan to implement unconscious bias training for all employees to raise awareness of potential biases and promote fair decision-making.
Inclusive Culture: We are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their best work.
We plan to:
- Set measurable goals for diversity and inclusion.
- Regularly track our progress and make adjustments as needed.
- Actively solicit feedback from employees on our diversity and inclusion efforts.
By fostering a diverse and inclusive environment at Chatdok, we can attract and retain top talent, create a more positive work experience for all employees, and ultimately deliver a better solution for our users.
Our Business Model at Chatdok:
Balancing Impact and Revenue Chatdok delivers value to both the populations it serves and its business through a dual approach:
Impact:
Free, AI-powered health information and self-care guidance:** The chatbot provides immediate value to users by offering accessible health information and self-care recommendations.
Our Four Revenue Model:
B2B/SaaS Sales: Chatdok offers chronic disease management tools (Chronic Care Monitor), effective front/door care navigation (AI Care Navigator) and an Enterprise ready AI pharmacy assistant (RxGenius.ai) to healthcare providers on a subscription basis.
Consultation Fees: Virtual consultations with licensed doctors generate revenue through insurance reimbursements or patient payments.
Chatbot Credit System: Optional pre-paid credits allow users extended interaction with the advanced medical chatbot.
DIGA Insurance Reimbursement: In applicable regions, Chatdok aims to secure reimbursement from insurance companies for its chronic disease management program, demonstrating its effectiveness in preventing complications and better menegment. This model allows Chatdok to offer a valuable service to underserved communities while generating revenue to support its growth and ongoing development.
- Individual consumers or stakeholders (B2C)
Our Path to Financial Sustainability at Chatdok: A Multi-pronged Approach Revenue Streams
Chatdok aims for financial sustainability through a diversified revenue model:
Chatbot Credit System: An optional pre-paid credit system allows users to access extended functionality within the advanced medical chatbot.
B2B/SaaS Sales: Our core revenue stream comes from selling chronic disease management tools (Chronic Care Monitor, AI Care Navigator) and the AI pharmacy assistant (RxGenius.ai) as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) subscriptions to healthcare providers.
Consultation Fees: Virtual doctor consultations generate income through insurance reimbursements and patient co-pays.
DIGA Reimbursement (future): In applicable regions, Chatdok will pursue reimbursement from insurance companies for its chronic disease management program, leveraging its potential to reduce healthcare costs.
Early Traction and Future Success:
While still in the early stages without an outside funding yet, we've seen promising initial traction:
Pilot Programs: Chatdok has successfully launched pilot programs with healthcare providers, demonstrating the value of our solutions.
User Growth: The app is experiencing steady user growth with little or no ads, indicating strong demand for our services. Over 50,000 treatment completed.
Scaling the Model:
We plan to scale our revenue by:
Expanding B2B Sales: Actively marketing our SaaS products to a broader range of healthcare providers. Currently co-selling with Microsoft through the Azure Marketplace.
Optimizing User Acquisition: Implementing data-driven strategies to attract more users and encourage them to utilize paid features.
Strategic Partnerships: Collaborating with healthcare organizations and insurance companies to increase adoption of Chatdok's platform.
Financial Transparency: While specific financial details are not publicly available at this stage, the initial success of our pilot programs and user growth indicate the viability of our revenue model. We are confident that by scaling our B2B sales, optimizing user acquisition, and forming strategic partnerships, Chatdok can achieve long-term financial sustainability.
Future Funding: In addition to our core revenue streams, we plan to raise additional funding through grants, impact investments or corporate VC funds that align with our mission of improving healthcare access and affordability.