Each month, we highlight one of our amazing members doing amazing things in digital health and beyond. Our August member feature is written by and about one of our fantastic new members LVNDR; a free service giving LGBTQ+ people equal access to healthcare.
LVNDR Health was founded by Christopher El Badaoui and Araxie Boyadjian with an aim to increase accessibility and the quality of LGBTQ+ care across the UK. In 2021, they raised £1.5Mn to tackle this problem space. LVNDR Health is a platform offering LGBTQ+ sexual healthcare services designed and enabled by queer specialist providers to deliver more equitable care through an end-to-end virtual care app.
What are LVNDR Health doing?
A 2018 Stonewall report has revealed that 1 in 8 LGBTQ+ individuals avoid seeking care due to fear of discimination by healthcare professionals. These numbers are also far more concerning for LGBTQ+ people of colour, with 1 in 5 avoiding care for the same reasons; and these are just the statistics we know about. LGBTQ+ individuals deserve safe spaces to access care no matter where or who they are.
LVNDR Health connects users to sexual health clinicians with specialist experience and interest in LGBTQ+ health via the app to provide timely consultations and care. LVNDR care is provided inclusively, without assumptions or judgement. Our goal is to reduce waiting times, increase attendance and follow-up, and achieve greater user satisfaction and health outcomes as a result for a community that is so often overlooked and seldom the focus for health innovation.
The LVNDR team are looking to launch their first pilot project in the next few months with a view to validate their health economic and health outcomes framework, developed in part with support with the DigitalHealth.London team (LVNDR are currently part of the prestigious DH.L accelerator programme). This evaluation will examine the return on investment and other commercial health outcomes for this novel remote model of care that can support the currently overwhelmed NHS services as a result of both Covid-19, and more recently monkeypox.
What is next for LVNDR Health?
LVNDR has recently engaged with two large NHS trusts in London to build a predictive model of their remote service as part of a joint submission for the NHS Transformation Directorate Partnership Fund for up to £500K, that if successful would launch before the end of the year.
We are currently looking for Introductions to Healthcare professionals, individuals or organisations with particular experience of selling services to the NHS. We're also keen to connect with partners for pilot projects and additional joint-funding bids.
We're really excited to have LVNDR Health join the Health Foundry community this month. If you'd like to connect with the LVNDR team, contact them here.
Words: LVNDR Health
If you’d like to connect with Chris, Araxie and the LVNDR Health team, contact them here.