Teladoc gets into the mental health app business, end to end. The myStrength cognitive health app, which was picked up as part of the Livongo acquisition, reappears as a Teladoc product called myStrength Complete. The front door is the myStrength app, which offers coaching, positive psychology, and cognitive behavioral therapy, which then connects with Teladoc’s therapists and psychiatrists to offer a comprehensive experience.
Teladoc will offer this to consumers through their health plans or employers starting in July. The first enterprise customers, according to Teladoc, are a major Blues plan and a Fortune 100 employer.
The company also provided the results of their proprietary third-party research, which indicated unsurprisingly that a majority who sought support (69 percent) indicated it would be difficult and/or overwhelming to use multiple websites, mobile apps, or virtual care platforms to address mental health needs. Nearly all of those surveyed who said they sought virtual mental health support – 92 percent – reported at least some improvement during the pandemic, with over one-third reporting significant improvement or a “breakthrough” during treatment.
An unintended consequence of Teladoc’s move? A cooling off of the mental health boomlet, now that the elephant has chosen where to sit. The stand-alone cognitive health apps such as AbleTo, Lyra Health, and Ginger, now need to seek partners, such as health plans (Vida Health) or telehealth providers. Unfortunately, the telehealth providers remaining have either some behavioral health capabilities–and that may be enough for their business–or find the price too high. Teladoc release, Mobihealthnews
Most Recent Comments