Empowering Patients to Make Informed Healthcare Decisions
WiserCare is a healthcare technology company that was founded in 2014 to empower patients to make informed healthcare decisions. Dr. Jeff Belkora, a health services researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, founded the company. He recognized that patients often face difficult decisions when it comes to their healthcare, but they may not have the tools or resources they need to make informed choices. WiserCare’s solution is to provide patients with personalized decision-making support that uses patient data, clinical guidelines, and patient preferences to provide personalized recommendations for a range of medical decisions.
WiserCare’s platform is designed to be user-friendly and accessible to a wide range of patients. The platform uses plain language and avoids medical jargon, making it accessible to patients with different levels of health literacy. Patients can access the platform from their computers or mobile devices, and the interface is designed to be easy to navigate. The company has developed decision-making support tools for a range of medical conditions and procedures, including breast cancer surgery, knee replacement surgery, and prostate cancer screening. The company is also working to develop tools for other medical conditions and procedures.
WiserCare’s approach to healthcare is grounded in the belief that patients should be active participants in decisions about their healthcare. Shared decision-making is an approach to healthcare that involves patients and their healthcare providers working together to make decisions about their care. WiserCare’s platform provides patients with the information and tools they need to participate in shared decision-making with their healthcare providers. The company’s provider dashboard provides healthcare providers with information about their patients’ preferences and values, allowing them to tailor their recommendations to each patient’s individual needs. Overall, WiserCare’s mission is to improve the quality of healthcare by empowering patients to make informed decisions.
A case study
One of the successful case studies of WiserCare is its decision-making support tool for breast cancer surgery. The tool was designed to provide personalized recommendations for women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer who were considering breast-conserving surgery (BCS) or mastectomy.
The randomized controlled trial of the decision support tool found that patients who used the tool were more likely to choose a surgical option that was consistent with their values and goals. The study involved 340 women, with half of the participants receiving the decision support tool and the other half receiving usual care.
The decision support tool provided personalized recommendations based on the patient’s clinical and personal information, such as age, tumor size, and patient preferences. The tool also provided information on the risks and benefits of each surgical option and allowed patients to weigh the factors that were most important to them.
The study found that patients who used the decision support tool were more likely to choose BCS, which is a less invasive procedure, compared to those who received usual care. Patients who used the tool were also more likely to have a clear understanding of their treatment options and to report feeling less conflicted about their decision.
WiserCare’s breast cancer surgery decision support tool demonstrates the company’s commitment to improving patient outcomes by empowering them to make informed decisions. By providing patients with personalized recommendations and information, WiserCare is helping to create a healthcare system that is more patient-centered and responsive to patients’ needs and preferences. The success of this tool can serve as an example for the development of decision-making support tools for other medical conditions and procedures.
The awards
WiserCare has been recognized with several awards for its significant contributions to shared decision-making and patient-centered care. Notable awards include the John M. Eisenberg Award for Practical Application of Medical Decision Making, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Awards for developing decision support tools, Digital Health Awards for high-quality digital health resources, and the UCSF Health Hub Innovator Award for innovative healthcare companies improving patient outcomes through technology. These awards highlight WiserCare’s commitment to improving healthcare quality and safety through the use of decision support tools and technology.
The Healthcare Entrepreneur
Jared is deeply committed to developing and delivering improvements to our care and the way it is delivered. At WiserCare, he is responsible for all business operations and key elements of product management in order to grow the business and deliver the full potential of WiserCare products to our customers. Jared joined WiserCare from McKinsey & Company where he was a core leader in the healthcare practice, delivering engagements for major U.S. health systems, biotechs, and prominent global health organizations on mission-critical topics such as growth strategy and operations transformation.
Jared has deep experience across the healthcare and technology sectors. He spent 5 years at Children’s Hospital Boston and the Broad Institute as computational biologist studying population genetics and the effects of common genetic variation on disease. He also spent time at Blue Shield of California and Genentech in strategic and marketing roles. On the technology side, he has 7 years of experience developing software products including building core offerings for an early SaaS start-up and as a product manager for Adobe’s online and mobile photo editing offerings.
He holds an MBA and MPH from UC Berkeley and lives in Seattle with his family. In his free time, he is an avid cook and outdoors enthusiast.
