DoseDr (YC W16) Helps People with Diabetes Control Their Treatment in Real Time

by Y Combinator3/15/2016

Diabetics with controlled blood sugar levels cost less and lead happier, healthier lives. But the traditional methods for achieving this are often inefficient and ineffective.

Diabetes patients typically see their doctors every three months for adjustments of their insulin doses. Between these visits, their blood glucose levels may be poorly controlled, as patients
struggle with complicated treatment regimens. They often rely on pen
and paper, trips to the clinic, or nurses checking in with phone calls
to track and assess their blood sugar logs. Existing apps promote healthy living through tracking data, but they don’t use that data to help doctors make adjustments to their patients’ treatment plans in real time.

DoseDr
is a company launching out of our Winter 2016 class with a mobile app that helps diabetics better control their disease by
adjusting their insulin doses in between doctor visits. This can prevent
the $150 billion wasted each year from complications from poorly
controlled diabetes.

The DoseDr
mobile app allows patients to track glucose readings and insulin
injections and suggests changes to their regimen, bringing patients
closer to goal faster than routine clinic visits. Providers are able to
intervene remotely through the web portal, making dose adjustments as
necessary. DoseDr also offers a dedicated provider that helps patients
stay on track.

It’s an approach that has already proven effective. DoseDr has taken on some of the sickest patients – ones
uncontrolled despite years of conventional treatment – and gotten their blood glucose levels
under control in less than a month. The first patient DoseDr enrolled was saved from a trip to the ICU that would have cost some $13,000. Their provider was alerted by DoseDr
to a series of abnormally high blood sugars and saw the patient
immediately, catching an infection early enough to avoid
hospitalization.

It won’t stop here. DoseDr is starting with diabetes, but the company has an eye on transforming routine medical care across other diseases.

DoseDr
is currently available in California and Louisiana, with plans to expand into
New York, Florida, and Illinois in the second quarter of 2016.

Author

  • Y Combinator

    Y Combinator created a new model for funding early stage startups. Twice a year we invest a small amount of money ($150k) in a large number of startups (recently 200). The startups move to Silicon