As a cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. David Khoo has always been well aware of the dangers of heart disease. Despite being highly preventable, heart disease remains the #1 cause of death globally. However due to lack of access to a heart specialist for a majority of the population be it due to price or location, heart disease looks to remain an issue for years to come. Dr. David Khoo wanted to change this and back in 2010, he embarked on a journey that culminated in the founding and establishment of iHEAL Medical Centre Kuala Lumpur.
Foundation
“The first wealth is health”, said Ralph Waldo Emerson, the famous American philosopher. Indeed, everyone should be responsible for one’s own health. One must understand the meaning and the value of maintaining good health. This is the concept behind the name iHEAL. i to represent the person, HEA to represent health, and L to represent life. iHEAL, therefore, equals “I am responsible for my own health and life”.
Driven by the philosophy of less is more, Dr Khoo wanted iHEAL Medical Centre to prioritise a less-invasive method for most procedures or surgeries in order to shorten recovery periods as well as minimise injuries. Known for its impeccable service, use of advanced technology as well as its reasonable price, iHEAL Medical Centre has become the foremost destination in the region for treating the heart and heart related diseases, having seen over 75,000 patients from over 70 countries.
Opportunity in Digital Health
Even since its inception, a focus on technology has always been a part of iHEAL’s DNA. However, at that point in time, technology had not matured to a stage where many of Dr Khoo’s ideas on how to improve healthcare with technology could be implemented. To practice his philosophy of health maintenance, he encouraged his patients to jot down their health measurements regularly in a “Buku Tiga Lima” and as a doctor, would use this information to plan their treatment.
However fast forward to 2019 with the advent of smartphones and wearables, the proliferation of cloud technology as well as ubiquitous connectivity, Dr. Khoo decided that it was an opportunity to begin the next stage of his journey. Thus out of the idea of improving the tedious process of data recording in the humble “Buku Tiga Lima”, OurCheckup was born.
Democratising Heart Care
Dr Khoo launched iCheckup Plus, the first Doctor-Assisted Connected Health Program. Consisting of the Ourcheckup App as well as the relevant IOT Devices (Fitbit, BP Monitor and Body Composition Scale), the program uses the data collected to calculate the risk of a subscriber getting a heart attack within the next 10 years. Over the period of a year, a doctor will meet with a subscriber once every quarter in order to provide consultation as well as set targets to manage diet, exercise, stress and sleep which are the key risk factors for heart disease, ultimately lowering the subscriber’s risk of heart disease. iCheckup Plus also empowers General Practitioners (GP) to provide advice on heart health, allowing the public to access care for their heart in a cheaper and more accessible way.
The Journey towards the Future of Healthcare
OurCheckup hit several notable milestones in 2021 including winning the 2021 Digital Health Innovation Award as well as being selected as part of MaGIC’s Virtual GAP Cohort 05 despite launching during the challenging era of Covid-19. There are also currently 15 subscribers on their journey to reduce their risk of heart disease and hopefully many more to follow.
With the philosophy of improving accessibility of care, Dr Khoo decided to launch a programme to manage COVID-19 patients from the comfort of their own homes. By continuing to connect information obtained from medical devices to doctors, OurCheckup is able to triage and care for patients who have COVID-19.
As the pandemic looks to speed up the digitalisation of many businesses and services, OurCheckup looks well-positioned to capitalise and stand at the forefront of digitalising health care. OurCheckup looks to be only at the beginning of its journey to not only democratise heart care but the entire healthcare industry.
You can keep up with OurCheckup via their website at www.ourcheckup.com and on Instagram and Facebook @ourcheckup.
This content is provided by Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC).
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