ORBITA

Published by Daniel at July 1, 2022

Orbita is a platform that uses AI-powered conversational services to ease the connection between current and potential patients and healthcare providers. The company was founded in 2015 in Boston by Alpesh Patel, Bill Cava, Bill Rogers, and Nate Treloar, all of whom work actively in the company. With headquarters in the area, Orbita occupies a notorious position as a HIPAA-compliant provider through high-quality software and conversational AI tools for medical providers. Their goal is to decrease healthcare organizations’ costs by using virtual assistants that enhance patient engagement and improve outcomes. Current investors in the company include HealthX Ventures, Royal Philips, Cultivation capital, Newark venture partners, the 4100 Group, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, and Manatt. These companies have invested in the brilliant projects of Orbita as it focuses on the most crucial element in the healthcare system, the patient.(1,2,3)

With no more than 50 employees, this company has significantly impacted the medical community. It has formed partnerships with prominent organizations, including Mass General Brigham, Mayo Clinic, Yale-New Haven Hospital, and UChicago Medicine.(3)

Focused on the problem

Empowering patients in their care and ensuring their inclusion into the healthcare team is the core of patient-centered care which is considered the gold standard approach to treatment. Patient compliance with recommended treatment regimens is the most crucial factor that directly affects outcomes. According to the American Medical Association, multiple reasons play a role in noncompliance, including fear, costs of medications, prices of consultations, misunderstanding, mistrust, and complicated regimens with numerous drugs. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 125,000 people with treatable diseases die each year in the United States alone due to this problem.(4,5)

Easier than expected

Orbita merges five products with different targets focused on the consumer’s end to create a platform for more specialized and customizable services. The Orbita platform allows companies to create and manage conversational experiences in an easy-setup interface. This is because advanced programming is not required for its development; rather, it depends on low code settings and drag-and-drop features. Therefore, companies can create a more user-friendly experience (voice-enabled or chatbox-based) to respond to patient concerns in a responsible, knowledge-based, and HIPAA-compliant way.

Patients’ questions can be filtered through this system that provides accurate answers to common questions such as “How much have I spent out of my deductible?” or “How should I take my medication?”. Orbita’s products include ENGAGE, ASSIST, CONNECT, Orbita for life sciences, and Orbita employee health management.(1,6,7)

This is because advanced programming is not required for its development; rather, it depends on low code settings and drag-and-drop features. Therefore, companies can create a more user-friendly experience (voice-enabled or chatbox-based) to respond to patient concerns in a responsible, knowledge-based, and HIPAA-compliant way. Patients’ questions can be filtered through this system that provides accurate answers to common questions such as “How much have I spent out of my deductible?” or “How should I take my medication?”. Orbita’s products include ENGAGE, ASSIST, CONNECT, Orbita for life sciences, and Orbita employee health management.(1,6,7)

The information you need right at your door

Orbita ENGAGE was created to address health-related questions. Around 70,000 healthcare queries are searched every minute on Google. ENGAGE is a “virtual front door” where consumers can find answers to their inquiries in a smooth process. From looking for doctors near the area to scheduling appointments, ENGAGE acts as a virtual concierge with its admirable capacities like voice search, healthcare FAQs, virtual triage, and waiting room. This product supports the reduction of everyday barriers to healthcare access and provides a human touch beyond what is expected from AI-based software.(8)

Triage nurse calls

Developed in close alliance with nurses, Orbita ASSIST categorizes priority for inpatient assistance calls for healthcare providers. The company’s hands-free and self-service solution is also HIPAA-compliant. The goal is to decrease significantly burdensome patient bedside visits while enhancing communication between patients and healthcare providers using analytics and alerts. This service has received over 25 awards, including the national iAward for Research and Development and AMY’s Trail Blazing Product of the Year in 2018. ASSIST has become more relevant than ever because it is a powerful tool for reducing infection, smart-routing patient requests, and protecting healthcare workers during the COVID-19 response.(9)

This service has received over 25 awards, including the national iAward for Research and Development and AMY’s Trail Blazing Product of the Year in 2018. ASSIST has become more relevant than ever because it is a powerful tool for reducing infection, smart-routing patient requests, and protecting healthcare workers during the COVID-19 response.(9)

Debriefing the plan and preparing in advance

Orbita CONNECT was developed to enhance out-patient concerns regarding management, follow-up, and treatment plans, including pharmacological and non-pharmacological measures. CONNECT enhances compliance by providing reminders and facilitating handy information about the plan, side effects, and treatment summaries. Questions like “What is my treatment plan for today?” are answered daily, decreasing the need for regimen memorization. This is particularly helpful for older adults with polypharmacy.

Orbita for life sciences targets patients interested in trying new medications advertised digitally. The pharmaceutical industry has experienced exponential growth as drug engineering allows for more pharmacological options for management. Moreover, physicians have difficulty keeping up with all the formulations, combination drugs, comparatively reported benefits of new medications, and costs, all of which are common curiosities among patients. This tool allows patients interested in new medications to receive more information about them and provides relevant information to the physician for a more thorough review before the next consultation.(10,11)

Backed up with reliability

Recently, Orbita has raised $9 million to expand its marketing and engagement division due to its increasing demand during the pandemic. CEO Bill Rogers reported that the use of conversational bots from patients concerned about coronavirus symptoms and looking for health providers has risen considerably. Orbita is dedicated to offering quality and safe content to users from prestigious institutions it has partnered with that include American Red Cross, Amgen, Mayo Clinic, and Merck.(3)

The service, however, goes beyond providing users with information. It has recently added capacities to monitor symptoms and recovery of patients, employees, and those at-risk for COVID-19. The COVID-19 chatbot is available to use without additional costs for customers and is now reaching millions of individuals worldwide.(12,13)

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