Interview with Ease Co-Founder Rio Hoe

In this inaugural article/newsletter, I speak to Rio Hoe , co-founder of Ease, a venture-backed digital health startup focused on revolutionizing access to women’s health by making it more convenient, affordable, and discreet.

With Ease, users can see experienced women's health doctors across topics such as fertility and menopause, and have medications delivered to them, as well as access a range tests and treatments, all from the comfort of their home. We have a community of over 120,000 members, and have been featured in 15+ publications including Forbes, ELLE, The Straits Times, TODAY, and CNA, becoming the top-of-mind women's health platform in Singapore.??

Quick facts:

• Website: Ease
• Founded: 2020
• Founders: Rio Hoe & Guadalupe Lazaro
• Funding: Post Seed
• Therapeutic area: Women's health (Femtech)
• Looking for: partnerships with healthcare providers & insurance groups in order to make women's health more accessible via telemedicine.

Thank you for taking the time to chat with me; let's dive straight into Ease! What specific problem or need does your healthcare startup address, and what motivated you to tackle this particular issue?

At Ease, we address the problem of healthcare access, which is a significant issue, especially in women’s health due to barriers such as stigma and cost. Our motivation stems from the negative personal experiences of my co-founder and I in terms of accessing care, which included long waits, high costs, inexperienced doctors, and lack of choices and information when it comes to treatment options in the women’s health space.

This motivated us to start Ease, which today has improved the healthcare experience for tens of thousands of women in Singapore.?

And how does your solution differentiate itself from existing alternatives in the market?

What sets Ease apart from existing alternatives is our unique combination of user-friendly telehealth access with personalized support and community networks. Unlike other solutions on the market, we provide patients with a user-friendly mobile app that simplifies care navigation, appointment management and has tracking tools to help them manage their women’s health needs. We have also built a vibrant in-app community, allowing women to interact with one another and build support networks between them.?

This holistic approach sets us apart and enhances patient engagement and adherence rates and has been key to our success.?

What innovative technologies or approaches does your startup leverage to improve healthcare outcomes?

We leverage innovative technologies that help doctors and patients analyze patient data and provide personalized recommendations. This helps us identify patterns, anticipate risks, and offer tailored interventions. These empower patients to take control of their health, and benefit from doctor-led individualized support.

There is increasing scrutiny of how user data is accessed and utilized by technology companies. Given health data is particularly sensitive, how does Ease safeguard user’s data?

At Ease, we understand the importance of safeguarding user data, especially when it comes to sensitive information such as health data. That is why we have a multi-layered approach that encompasses various technical, administrative, and physical controls.

So for example, we employ state-of-the-art encryption techniques to protect user data both during transmission and storage, and maintain secure systems and infrastructure with firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and other security measures to protect against potential threats. Furthermore, we have a data minimization approach where we collect and retain only the minimum amount of data necessary to provide our services effectively. We also conduct regular internal and external audits to assess the effectiveness of our security measures and identify any potential vulnerabilities or areas for improvement, and ensure compliance with all applicable data protection laws and regulations as well as industry best practices. These are just some examples from the wide range of measures and protocols we have implemented.

Given the enormous benefits that can be derived from data, where do you think the line (if any) needs to be drawn between individual’s right to privacy and potentially broader socialized benefits?

Individuals should have the right to know how their data is collected, used, and shared, and be able to make informed choices about its utilization. Yet, the responsible and ethical use of data can yield broader societal benefits and so this question is very relevant indeed.?

At its core, I believe that informed consent is central to this topic. Individuals should have the ability to give informed consent for the use of their data. They should be provided with clear and understandable information about how their data will be used and have the right to opt-out if they choose to do so. Regardless of the socialized benefits, informed consent needs to be the centre of any dialogue around this topic.

That being said, there are many ways that organizations can make individuals feel more secure and comfortable with providing consent. For example, through anonymization and aggregation, which ensures that individual identities cannot be readily determined from the data, while still allowing for valuable analysis and insights, or purpose limitation, to ensure data is collected and used only for specific, well-defined purposes. At the same time, clear governance frameworks, regulations, and oversight mechanisms in place to ensure responsible data use, as well as transparency and accountability by organizations are all key too.?

Ultimately, finding the right balance between individual privacy and socialized benefits requires ongoing dialogue, collaboration, and consideration of diverse perspectives from both individuals and organizations, and it is up to each society to find the right balance that aligns with its own interests and values.??

What are the key challenges or regulatory hurdles you anticipate facing, and how do you plan to address them?

One of the key challenges or regulatory hurdles that we face in telemedicine is the initial resistance from individuals who are accustomed to traditional face-to-face interactions with healthcare providers. It is understandable that some people may find it odd or unfamiliar to consult with a doctor remotely, particularly those who are not as comfortable with technology.

To address this challenge, we aim to make the transition to telemedicine as seamless as possible. We are committed to ensuring that the quality of interaction during telemedicine consultations is on par with what patients would experience during in-person visits. By employing advanced technological solutions and intuitive user interfaces, we aim to create a user-friendly and accessible platform that minimizes any potential barriers or discomfort for patients.

Moreover, we recognize the importance of building trust and confidence in telemedicine among individuals who may be sceptical. We plan to actively educate patients and the wider community about the benefits and safety measures associated with telemedicine. Additionally, we will offer support and assistance to individuals who may require guidance or training to navigate the telemedicine platform, especially those who are less tech-savvy.

If there was one pain point you could solve today, what would that be and how do you think it can be solved?

If there was one pain point I could solve today, it would be patient engagement and education, particularly regarding women's health. Despite progress in recent years, women's health topics are often still considered taboo, resulting in limited access to information and resources. This lack of awareness and engagement makes it challenging to involve women in the shared decision-making process, ultimately impacting treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction.

Some ways to address this pain point include:

Education and Awareness: by making available accurate and accessible information about various aspects of women's health, we can help break the taboos and stigmas surrounding these topics.

Empowering Healthcare Providers: giving them the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively engage and communicate with women about their health and improve their understanding of gender-specific health issues, cultural sensitivities, and effective communication strategies.

Enhanced Patient-Provider Communication: Creating a culture of open and non-judgmental dialogue between healthcare providers and women. Creating a safe and comfortable environment where women feel heard and understood can facilitate their active participation in the decision-making process.?

Collaboration and Partnerships: greater collaboration between healthcare providers, researchers, advocacy groups, and policymakers are essential to facilitate the development of comprehensive strategies, policies, and guidelines that prioritize women's health and address the existing gaps in knowledge and access to care.

All of these play a huge part in creating improved health outcomes and increased patient satisfaction, and they each form a large part of what we are building here at Ease.