In the U.S., there are fewer than 6,000 pain management physicians, yet according to the Centers for Disease Control, there are approximately 50 million adults living with chronic pain. With such a disparity, it can be incredibly difficult for those suffering with chronic pain to get the help they need. New digital platform Clearing is designed to help those with chronic pain get relief.
Created to improve access to pain care, Clearing is founded by Avi Dorfman, Jacob Hascalovici and Yakov Kagan and the platform recently announced raising $20 million in seed funding.
The platform, which does not prescribe opioids, is taking a science-based approach. Users report their symptoms via the platform on their own time and then doctors review the reports and develop personalized treatment plans. Customers can try out the digital platform for free for 30 days, after which the cost is an average of $50 per month for a personalized program and products.
Hascalovici, who serves as Clearing’s chief medical officer, is a Board-certified neurologist with a PhD in neuroscience, specialized in interventional pain management, says the platform’s approach is similar to how he practices with patients in person. New patients start with exercise, physical therapy and topical pain relievers and move gradually from there as needed when it comes to alleviating chronic pain.
This $20 million in seed funding is just one of the newest investments in the growing wave of direct-to-consumer digital health funding. In fact, venture capital investment in digital health is close to $7 billion for the first quarter of 2021.
For more about Clearing and the trend towards direct-to-consumer healthcare, learn more in this piece in Forbes.
