How digital technology can support women’s health and access to health care

Ashlee Wisdom left a toxic workplace environment after developing chronic hives.

At the time, Wisdom also earned a master’s degree in public health from New York University, where she learned about how social and political factors can affect the health of certain groups.

These experiences led her to create Health In Her HUE, a digital health platform that connects women of color with healthcare providers committed to meeting their health needs.

“I had my own experience of seeing how racism affects your health, and I saw all these innovations happening in health care, but I didn’t see anyone at that time building anything that addressed the specific pain points that women of color and black women. they tend to have when navigating the healthcare system,” Wisdom told Business Insider.

Health In Her HUE is part of a growing number of femtech, or technology companies that aim to support women’s health and well-being. A report published last year by a consultancy called FemHealth Insights found that the sector is growing rapidly, with more than 60% of femtech companies founded between 2017 and 2022.

Historically, women’s health care has been plagued by challenges such as bias and a lack of specialized providers. But femtech offers a new way forward—one where connecting with a doctor doesn’t require an in-person meeting, and female founders create digital spaces that mirror the care they want to receive.

Connectivity to close the women’s health gap

Increased access to high-speed internet, the expansion of telemedicine and the demand for women-centric healthcare are some of the factors behind recent support for femtech platforms and applications.

“In 2020, because we were left with no alternative, there has been a massive increase in online services, which has created a culture change for providers and customers,” said Smisha Agarwal, executive director of the Center for Global Health Innovation digital at Johns Hopkins. University.

As a result, the US healthcare sector has become less resistant to remote tools such as telehealth and medical apps, and patients have realized that they enjoy the relative privacy of speaking with a provider at home, rather than at a clinic. “These tools can change the power dynamic in a clinical relationship,” Agarwal said.

Health In Her HUE says nearly 14,000 women have accounts and use the website to access medical information tailored specifically to women of color; virtual peer support groups; and health professionals who provide health care in a way that meets the social, cultural and linguistic needs of patients.

Black women often face greater difficulties in accessing affordable and quality health care, are disproportionately burdened by chronic conditions, and are more likely to experience discrimination in medical settings. “I wanted to build a platform to help women of color, and women of color in general, navigate healthcare and a system that is too often precarious for us,” Wisdom said.

Through the platform, users can search for providers by insurance they provide, their specialties and zip code, then meet with them in person or virtually, depending on the provider.

At first, Wisdom reached out to vendors who seemed aligned with her mission and asked if they would participate in the project. Now, providers who want to join can create an account, and once they commit to the company’s commitment to health equity, they’re added to the directory.

Wisdom said a Health In Her HUE user who felt other doctors ignored her symptoms was diagnosed with PCOS after meeting with a Health In Her HUE provider. Another told Wisdom that she drove three hours to see a gastroenterologist she found in the directory; she felt that “if a Black GI doctor saw her, they would take her symptoms more seriously,” Wisdom said.

For years, healthcare systems have not been designed for women, and there are still gaps in research and treatments for women’s health issues. A study published in the Journal of Women’s Health in 2021 found that funding from the US National Institutes of Health was more likely to go to conditions that primarily affect men and less likely to go to conditions that disproportionately affect women, such as migraines and endometriosis.

With this reality in mind, Joanna Strober co-founded Midi Health, a website designed to help people experiencing menopause and perimenopause access specialists. Described as a virtual care clinic, Midi Health allows people to make telehealth appointments with registered nurses and doctors who specialize in midlife women’s health. Strober told BI that she started the company after encountering barriers to finding menopause care.

“I also realized that the only way to expand this and give access to all women was to do it virtually,” Strober said. “It’s about connecting women to great care, no matter where they live.”

During a virtual appointment, patients can discuss perimenopause and menopause symptoms, such as hot flashes and brain fog. Interventions can range from lifestyle coaching to prescription medications, and Midi providers can refer patients to in-person treatments when needed. Some insurance plans cover care if providers are in-network with PPO plans. Strober is focused on expanding insurance coverage so more women can use Midi.

Strober said that as of August, about 100,000 women have used Midi in 2024. Most are in their 40s and 50s, and the average age is 46.

“It’s growing very quickly and women are coming to us in increasing numbers for more problems than we originally expected,” Strober said. She added that while Midi is not intended to be a primary care clinic, users’ interest in talking to providers about more than just hormone health demonstrates that “there just aren’t enough providers who are trained in women-centered care.” .

Strober attributed increased desire for digital platforms like Midi to improvements in telehealth technology and women’s demands for better care. The relative ease of virtual dating is also a plus.

Investing in solutions

A Silicon Valley Bank report released last year said venture capital funding for women’s health companies has grown 314 percent since 2018.

But Strober believes that the industry has just taken off and founders need to convince investors that more money can be made. Midi Health is about to do just that; the company closed a $60 million Series B round in April.

Agarwal said that as more companies enter the healthcare industry, they will need to consider patient needs beyond health, such as privacy. She argued that minimizing data collection and communicating about data use are imperative.

“Digital solutions do not replace in-person services, but they are a brilliant addition to in-person care,” added Agarwal.

Wisdom acknowledged that virtual care is not a panacea and told BI that while Health In Her HUE’s primary goal is to connect women of color with culturally responsive clinicians, she hopes for a future where all providers provide that level of care.

“We don’t want black patients to always feel like they have to be seen by a black healthcare provider,” Wisdom said. “They should feel comfortable and confident knowing that any provider they engage with can provide them with high-quality care.”

But for now, Wisdom said, virtual care can be a path to affordability. Health In Her HUE raised $3 million in a seed round in January, and Wisdom and her team are hopeful about the features they can create to create a space where users know they’re getting accurate information from health care providers. medical services that understand their experiences. Wisdom and her team plan to create an app and eventually partner with a telehealth company to offer virtual appointments.

“It feels good to build a solution that is useful to my community,” Wisdom said. “I’m glad that my energy is being used for a mission that resonates deeply with me.”