Outdated Healthcare Model is Not Meeting Younger Generations Needs
Young women are not visiting the doctor with regularity because of lack of affordability, inconvenience, and the expectation that there will be pain or discomfort. For many women, the experience of visiting the gynecologist is rushed, impersonal, and uncomfortable at best, but can be painful and highly traumatic. Women of all ages postpone regular screening visits with their doctor because of the level of vulnerability and discomfort they associate with pelvic exams.
Furthering the issue of medical care avoidance, women aged 15-24 are often dismissed as “healthy,” even when they present with symptoms. But, over 50% of STIs occur within this age range, and this is a critical age to screen for conditions such as PCOS and endometriosis. This is also the age where building health literacy can support a lifetime of improved hormone balance and overall health. It is a big missed opportunity to dismiss these women as “young and healthy” instead of offering solutions and education that will serve them for a lifetime.
The Betty’s Co. Solution
Betty’s Co. is leveraging technology and a mobile office model to meet young people where they are. Women aged 15-24 consistently indicate a high degree of willingness to interact with doctors through health apps, and adding a mobile clinic allows Betty’s Co. doctors to travel to college and university campuses.
A critical element of Betty’s Co. care is that it is holistic. They offer medical services, mental health services, education, and community. Understanding that feeling rushed makes it difficult for patients to develop trust and rapport with their medical providers, much less for the providers to include useful health literacy information, Betty’s Co. appointments are 40 minutes and can be supplemented by an ongoing chat function with a Nurse Care Coordinator through the Betty’s Co. app.
Betty’s Co. aims to increase availability and access to personal care and contraceptive products for young people as well. The app includes an “Awkward Shop,” for young people to make purchases discreetly. Everything that Betty’s Co. does is designed to make young people more comfortable, and even excited about receiving care.
Betty’s recently received investment from Catalyst by Wellstar to transform healthcare access for Gen Z women. Read more here.
How Femovate Helps
Betty’s Co was awarded sponsorship through Guidea’s Femovate program for ‘22-’23.
As part of the Femovate sponsorship, the digital health experts at Guidea worked closely with the amazing design leader at Betty’s Co to envision a new experience for patient intake forms. Guidea provided generative research and concept design for an entirely new, Gen Z approved way to securely and confidentially collect sensitive health info.
"I can't recommend Guidea's UX services highly enough. Their partnership with Betty's Co., through their Femovate grant competition, helped us transform our patient's digital experience. Guidea's deep understanding of the FemTech landscape is a major differentiator. They aren't just UX designers, they're champions for women's wellbeing. This translates into products that are not only user-friendly but also sensitive to the unique needs of women."
- Jennifer Newell, Founder of Betty’s Co.
For more information about Betty’s Co., visit bettysco.com and follow them on LinkedIn
For more information on Femovate visit www.femovate.com and follow us on LinkedIn
For interviews please contact Theresa Neil
