The lesson of this past year was largely focused on health and resilience, as well as innovation, with nearly every industry being forced to shift operations to a virtual basis. One company encompasses and addresses all these factors. Opt Health is a telehealth platform that aims to reinvent the field of medicine by merging it with technology in order to bring men’s preventive medicine to the forefront of the health and wellness industry, and encourage men to optimize their lives. We caught up with the platform’s co-founder and CTO, Greg Tidwell, to learn more about how Opt operates and what’s in store for the future of the newly launched company.

 

Q: What inspired you to start Opt Health? Were you always interested in health or the medical field?

Greg: I always had a passion for using the principles of nutrition and fitness to optimize my experience and cognition. Also, growing up the son of two physicians, I considered medicine a likely future, studying neuroscience and completing pre-med requirements. However, along the way, I also became passionate about technology and the capabilities of software. Opt Health is the perfect alignment of my interests, hobbies, and passions. I absolutely love creating and improving the platform.

Q: What key issue does Opt Health aim to solve?

Greg: “What gets measured, gets managed.” When attempting to get the most out of life, feel your best, and operate at peak performance, it’s important to track inputs and outputs. Opt Health gives you guidance and the tools required to gain a better understanding of not only how you function, but what adjustments you can make to optimize your performance and reach your goals.

Q: Why do you think preventive medicine is so important?

Greg: Benjamin Franklin, my personal hero, said it best, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This quote perfectly explains the importance of preventive medicine, and why Opt Health is such an important tool in one’s life.

Q: What do you think makes Opt Health stand out from its competitors?

Greg: We continue to innovate our platform—integrating technologies and principles that will help our clients optimize their health. For example, we use the principles of gamification to motivate our clients, HIPAA-compliant video and chat with some of the best physicians in the country, best in class pharmacy and lab partners, and we’re working on an Alexa-integration feature.

Q: Can you tell us about the app dashboard—how does it work, what is its purpose?

Greg: The Opt Health dashboard provides a comprehensive view into your health. Using assessments, exams, lab results, and data from wearables, each patient has a calculated Opt Performance Score, which is the summation of 6 subcategories of health. Clients can track how they are doing over time across categories and identify paths to improvement.

Q: Please explain the technology aspect of Opt Health as it relates to doctors. What is the system like, what does it help them with, and how is this a game changer?

Greg: In addition to easing communication between doctor and patient, we built a Doctor UX that gives physicians access to all the information they need to monitor a patient’s health: labs, exams, data from wearables, food diaries, etc. Physicians can be alerted to any issues or deviations from the patient plan and goals.

Q: Is the dashboard and technology evolving?

Greg: Always. We are in the process of building a virtual health coach. One of the coach’s manifestations will be a HIPAA-compliant Alexa skill. You can trust us to bring cutting edge science and technology to further optimize your health.

Q: What impact do you hope Opt Health will have on its clients’ lives?

Greg: I hope Opt Health transforms our client’s lives in a fundamental way by giving them more energy and zest for life while also providing them more clarity and control over their health.

Q: Is there anything else you want to mention or highlight that has not been covered yet?

Greg: I’m not only a cofounder and CTO, I’m also a client. I feel fantastic and couldn’t be more excited to share in this experience with our clients.

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