Healp is Here: The App That’s Picking Up Where Conventional Medicine Falls Short
Florida Innovation Ecosystem News
Elizabeth Tikoyan, Founder and CEO of Healp, isn’t your typical health tech entrepreneur. Her journey began in her late teens and early twenties when a chronic condition nearly stole everything from her. Paralysis, memory loss, and chronic pain confined her to bed for years. Faced with a grim diagnosis in high school, conventional medicine offered only a hopeless prognosis: a death sentence. Doctors told her she wouldn’t make it past her 20th birthday and, if she did, she’d likely be confined to a wheelchair for life.
Determined to prove those doctors wrong, Elizabeth sought answers from others who had faced similar health experiences. She discovered alternative treatments and medical practices that none of her previous doctors had mentioned, leading to her eventual cure.
“My experience wasn’t unique,” Tikoyan explains. “The FDA reports over 10,000 chronic conditions worldwide, but only 40% have extensive research. That leaves millions struggling with limited information and treatment options.”
Healp emerged from this gap in the healthcare landscape. It’s a dual-pronged platform built on the power of shared experience combined with medical research, ongoing research, AI and big data analytics. Patients connect with others facing similar challenges, nurturing a sense of community and emotional support. They’re not alone – they can meet people who understand their struggles, whether it be battling chronic migraines or managing complex comorbidities, and find answers: treatments, lifestyle changes, and doctors with heightened expertise.
The platform’s innovative crowdsourcing tool allows users to participate in surveys on treatments, doctors, and lifestyle factors. This data, rich with insights from a diverse patient pool, is anonymized and analyzed to uncover previously unavailable information.
Healp is more than just a platform; it’s a movement redefining how society views chronic illness. By creating a community of strength and resilience, Healp is solution oriented. It is a place that empowers patients to take control of their health and rewrite the narrative around chronic diagnoses. It’s a story of overcoming adversity, harnessing the power of shared experience, and ultimately, making a positive impact on the lives of millions
“We’re filling research gaps and generating valuable data,” says Tikoyan. “This not only empowers patients with real-world information but also helps medical researchers understand these conditions better, ultimately leading to improved treatments and outcomes.”
Healp has attracted the attention of clinical trial and research groups. With over 80% of trials delayed due to enrollment challenges, Healp’s vast patient community acts as a bridge, facilitating patient recruitment and accelerating medical progress.
Among other significant achievements, Elizabeth Tikoyan and her team’s efforts have been recognized by Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for their impact in the patient space. In addition to being voted Technical.ly Invention of the Year in 2021 and one of the Top 32 Student Startups by Student Startup Madness, Tikoyan’s Healp has also been selected for prestigious accelerators such as the Halcyon Fellowship, Techstars X J.P. Morgan, Tampa Bay Wave, and Lighthouse Labs.
Looking towards the future, Tikoyan’s dreams are ambitious. She envisions Healp becoming a household name, a one-stop shop for patients with chronic conditions.
Her vision has transformed the healthcare landscape, turning vulnerability into empowerment and redefining societal perceptions of chronic illness. As Healp continues to grow, it remains committed to its mission of inclusivity, support, and steadfast pursuit of better health outcomes for millions worldwide. Healp is the place to go for answers until the medical world catches up.