Innovatie

OW Care Navigation

Pilot

OW Care is an AI-assisted care navigation and matching platform that connects people with the right alternative care options in their area, such as with a private and community care provider who truly aligns with their needs, shared life experiences, and values. This is Our Why (OW).

Digitalisering

Zelfzorg

Overige

Regio Zuid-Holland

Help ons versnellen

We want to launch a pilot project with interested SMEs (<250 employees) in The Hague/Rotterdam region to establish a local care partnership with private healthcare providers, focusing on a flexible, co-pay, plug-in program for their employees. We would appreciate support in introducing this program to our network for conducting the pilot survey.

Hee Baek

https://ourwhy.org

Probleemstelling

Many people struggle to find the right care when they need it. Care options—from private practitioners to community services—are often fragmented and difficult to navigate, leading to delays and avoidable GP or emergency visits.

Oplossing

OW Care is a care navigation and matching platform that helps people discover local providers that fit their needs and preferences. Evidence from non-EU / US shows that care navigation can reduce total cancer care costs by up to 20% (ASCO Quality Care Symposium, 2023) and reduce GP or emergency visits by up to 40% (UK NASP, 2024) when care is better connected in the community by helping people access the right care earlier.

VWS-missies

OW Care supports the VWS mission of keeping healthcare accessible and sustainable. International patient navigation programs have shown returns greater than 5:1, demonstrating how better coordination and earlier access to care can improve outcomes while reducing system costs. It's time we actualize this, tailored to Europe - starting in the community, connecting prevention-level care first.

Doelgroep

OW Care connects individuals seeking accessible local care beyond traditional pathways, such as private, complementary, or community-based services. Through our local care partnership, we connect SMEs aiming to support employee wellbeing and local providers for more accessible and affordable care. In the Netherlands alone this includes millions of working adults and the ~1.9 million SMEs that often lack structured and sustainable care program that is measurable in outcomes. The audience size reflects the growing demand for faster, locally accessible care options outside standard referral routes.

Verlaging zorgkosten

OW Care reduces overall time-to-care and care costs by helping people find appropriate local care earlier with financial transparency by showing coverages accepted by private providers. By improving navigation and visibility of existing providers, it reduces delays, fragmented care pathways, and avoidable GP or specialist visits.

Verdienmodel

OW Care operates as a marketplace platform with an affordable platform commission fee on provider bookings, with optional access for SMEs offering employees flexible care program. The model combines commission and subscriptions for the intermediary services OW Care provides.

Concurrentie

External capital has not yet been raised as OW Care is currently bootstrapped by the founder. Competition includes search engines, number of mental health platforms although their service category is limited and have no care matching system comparable to OW Care, fragmented provider directories, and word-of-mouth recommendations. Today people often spend significant time searching for trusted providers or rely on limited referral networks. OW Care structures this discovery process and surfaces local care options earlier, helping reduce delays that can lead to more costly interventions.

Unieke kenmerken

OW Care focuses on care navigation rather than treatment delivery, connecting users with a broad spectrum of local providers in one place. The platform emphasizes accessibility, locality, and transparent discovery of care options that are often difficult to find. The built-in care matching allows users to find a selection of 'better fit' to a care provider through lived experience/value matching for real-time booking who might otherwise be found after multiple directory search.

Intellectueel eigendom

The primary innovation lies in the platform and data architecture and care navigation model where people can design their care pathways at the community level.

Organisatie

OW Care is being developed as a lean technology-enabled marketplace focused on care navigation infrastructure. Local care partnerships and pilot partners are being actively sought after for SME employee care support.

Beschrijving pilotfase

OW Care is currently being tested through early-stage platform development and small pilot onboarding with local care providers to validate the discovery and care navigation experience. The focus is on understanding how people search for care and improving clarity in the matching process.

Betrokken partners

Early conversations and informal collaboration with local care providers, wellbeing practitioners, and ecosystem partners help shape the provider categories and platform usability. Their input supports building a practical and locally relevant care network.

Aantal gebruikers pilot

0-10

Onderzoeksresultaten

Initial testing is being conducted with a small group of early users and providers to review platform usability, search clarity, and provider listing structure.