When Justin Kahn was 14 years old, he was accidentally struck in the head with a baseball bat during a softball game. The incident caused significant head trauma and Kahn developed issues with mood and energy. He spent years working with multiple healthcare providers who diagnosed him with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), manic depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Kahn was prescribed multiple prescription drugs, none of which alleviated his issues. In 2007 Kahn began working with a neurologist who was able to identify that he had a form of epilepsy caused by the head trauma. The neurologist placed him on an anti-seizure medication, and it changed his life.
In 2009, Kahn came up with the idea for TruClinic after reading an article on how the Department of Defense was going to start investing billions of dollars each year to research and treat PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI) in active duty and veteran populations. He approached the VA in Salt Lake City with the idea to connect active duty military stationed all over the world with mental health care providers from their home state’s VA through a secure webcam connection. The premise was that by establishing a practitioner/patient relationship early in the career of a soldier, the relationship would continue well after the transition to a veteran status.
TruClinic was developed over years of R&D and BETA testing. TruClinic offers a simple virtual clinical solution, all of which is consolidated in a user-friendly, secure website accessible from any computing device. This cutting edge technology allows users to communicate in high definition from their smartphone, tablet or computer. “The technology was built with one aim: Versatility. TruClinic is designed to fit into any practice workflow,” Kahn said.
TruClinic is a secure technology that allows for healthcare providers and patients to connect virtually through any computing device and a webcam. The company was recently awarded a Phase II Technology Commercialization Incentive Program (TCIP) grant through the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED).
The TCIP has offered TruClinic funding to specifically help one community in need. The Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation (CTGR). The Goshutes are located 70 miles south east of Wendover and almost 200 miles from Salt Lake City. In order for Goshute tribal members to receive medical assistance they either have to drive over two hours to Wendover, Elko or Salt Lake City or wait for a healthcare provider to visit the reservation.
The first phase of the TCIP grant was awarded in May 2012, and was used to help Goshute tribal members receive remote mental health counseling through TruClinic’s technology.
The second phase of the grant will be used to complete two tasks. First, TruClinic partnered with Satellite Country, the nation’s largest re-seller of satellite service, will install and provide free satellite Internet to the homes on the reservation for one year. In addition, TruClinic will be opened up to all of the health care providers who deliver care to the Tribe.
“Practitioners love it, it’s incredibly easy to use, it’s secure, and it gives them all of the functionality to effectively communicate with their patients in a meaningful way,” said Justin Kahn, founder and CEO of TruClinic.
Overall the technology may have an overarching national impact as TruClinic will benefit the general community in many ways, including cutting down on unnecessary trips to the clinic or hospital, and for patient monitoring and compliance. This technology may significantly help patients who cannot afford the time, the travel or the wait.