While a formal, in-office diagnosis from a medical practitioner was once the first step on the road to recovery, more and more healthcare-related businesses have eased the stress of making a doctors appointment. With online patient/doctor interactive companies like HealthTap and at-home first-aid kits like CellScope’s OtoScope, patients can now educate themselves on their ailments in the comfort and privacy of their own home.
According to a study conducted by healthcare marketing firm Markovsky Health, U.S. consumers spend at least 52 hours online per year—or one hour per week—looking for health information. In the survey, more than 1,000 individuals, ages 18 and older, revealed that 53% access health information online at WebMD; 24% use a combination of social media sites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter; 19% use health magazine websites; and 16% use health advocacy group websites. Regardless of where we look, one the many reasons we look online in the first place is usually to avoid the difficult discussion of embarrassing conditions.
Today on ‘Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg’ children’s book author, Sue-Ganz Schmitt, and MyLabBox inventors Ursula Hessenflow and Lora Ivanova discussed how they are revolutionizing at-home personal healthcare:
“I was an executive throughout my career but I left to pursue having children and helping children.”
“In my baby group, one baby was diagnosed with Leukemia, one had severe allergies—I watched families become like superheroes.”
“I always loved children’s books. I set out to write a book to help families and the kids in class who wondered about blood tests that were happening.”
“In ‘Even Superheroes Get Diabetes’ the little just wants to play and be a little kid.”
“’The Princess and the Peanut’ is based on the Hans Christian Anderson tale.”
“1 in every 12 kids in the classroom have a peanut allergy.”
“My first two books were self-published because publishers found medical fiction books as a niche market.”
“Medtronic helped us get the books into doctor’s offices around the country.”
“One little boy wanted to be a doctor after reading my books.”
“My books helps make kids feel more special and helps lift them up.”
“If we can all inspire just one child out there, we’ve made the world a better place.”
“Join the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. They teach the craft side and the business side.”
“‘Planet Kindergarten’ likens the journey to kindergarten like an astronaut going to the moon.”
“I’m a NASA social media correspondent so I decided I wanted my next book to be a space-themed book for girls.”
“Media is the way to reach kids.”
“Tap into what you’re passionate about to help a field you’re interested in.”
For more info go to sueganzschmitt.com or follow Sue @planetkbooks
More than half of all the people in the world will have a sexually transmitted disease or infection at some point in their life. While over 80% of people with STDs have no symptoms, less than half of U.S. adults, ages 18 to 44, have ever been tested for an STD other than HIV.
Put simply, America’s got an epidemic of epic proportions on its hands. Luckily trying to help solve the problem are entrepreneurs Ursula Hessenflow and Lora Ivanova, creators of myLAB Box, an at-home STD testing kit that can be ordered online with tests that can be performed in the privacy of your own home:
“It’s the first online service that brings the lab into your home to test for STDs.”
“I couple of us got together to discuss dating in a big city, where we were in life. The awkward conversation of STDs came up.”
“The testing process was so uncomfortable that no one really wanted to approach the topic.”
“50% of all individuals in America will get an STI at some point in life.”
“Problem solving our own lives helped us to get us passionate and see the profitability.”
“MyLabBox is sold online. We try to make it as easy as 1-2-3 with results online in 3 to 8 days.”
“It’s been an interesting ride. We tried to spin it in the beginning without saying STDs, but everyone gets it.”
“One investor asked what STD we had that inspired us to create this. There were a lot of strange questions asked.”
“In Twitter and YouTube we got shut down for sexually explicit product. The stigma is there.”
“These are the networks communicating to the largest number of young adults. If all media refuses to talk about STDs, we don’t have a chance.”
“It comes in discreet packaging. Then you find a positive, colorful box that makes you think of anything but the gravity of what you’re about to do.”
“Pee in a cup, mail it back, and then we analyze it in our lab.”
“The challenge was how to get this into people’s hands and make it a lifestyle.”
“Once you order you kit, you can create an account on our secure website.”
“We don’t believe in painful screening, so there are no needles.”
“We saw that people don’t want to have an uncomfortable discussion with their doctor.”
“We’re big believers in giving consumers the ultimate choice to take care of their health.”
“The user is notified by one of our physicians to get treatment or discuss their results.”
“We offer a variety of anonymous hotlines for those with positive results.”
“No insurance to order. We kept costs low for the user.”
“We just hit our 300th customer.”
“We’ve been doing a lot of SEO and search marketing and keywords.”
“Education is a big piece of this. Most people don’t know how much of an epidemic this is.”
“The seniors are on par with the 20 year olds in terms of STDs.”
“We want to communicate to people that don’t even know they need to be tested in different stages of life.”
“We’re developing programs and outreach in college campuses and senior centers.”
“We would love one sports personality, one talk show host, and one celebrity or musician to talk about their status, it’s about the girl/guy next door.”
“We’d love a strategic partnership, like one of the major online dating sites.”
“If you’re sexually active you should be testing yourself.”
“Being female founders in this space is a bit of a hurdle.”
“Investors may not be able to relate to this as well. We’re trying to make it more relatable.”
“The questions we get from customers like is it easy, it is pain free. It’s a signal we need to make things clearer.”
“Roughly 2-4% of testing comes back positive which means people are proactive but that means a lot of people who need to test aren’t.”
For more info go to MyLabBox.com of follow them @myLABBox
Watch this week’s episode of ‘Quit Your Day Job’ on Oxygen at 10pm ET &PT to see if the women of My Lab Box win an investment from Randi and her fellow investors!
And don’t forget to tune into ‘Dot Complicated with Randi Zuckerberg’ every Wednesday at noon ET on SiriusXM Channel 111!
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