WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced on Wednesday that PatientWisdom, Inc., a New Haven digital health start-up, is “Murphy’s Innovator of the Month.” The company has three digital solutions to improve health care: PatientWisdom, ProviderWisdom, and CommunityWisdom.

PatientWisdom, Inc. was founded by Gregory Makoul in 2015. The idea for PatientWisdom was sparked almost 25 years ago after Greg finished his PhD in Communication Studies from Northwestern University and joined the faculty at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He recognized that many physicians and physicians-in-training had very little understanding of how patients experienced health and illness, and worked to strengthen the focus on patient perspectives. Realizing New Haven was becoming a significant hub for innovation, Greg decided to start PatientWisdom near Yale New Haven Health, which has since become a strategic partner.

PatientWisdom provides patients, families, and caregivers the platform to share brief ‘stories’ about themselves, their health, and their care. PatientWisdom then runs analytics to distill information about what matters to patients. Over 90% of patients report that PatientWisdom improved communication with providers who used it, and over 80% of providers confirm that PatientWisdom helps them learn what is important to their patients – in less than 20 seconds. 

“Greg’s innovative vision is a great example of what happens when you use technology to actually listen to people. Patients who use PatientWisdom are finding it easier to communicate with their providers, and doctors are better understanding the needs of their patients. I’m looking forward to watching this company grow,” said Murphy.

“The innovation ecosystem in Connecticut is bolstered by organizations like Connecticut Innovations, excellent educational and healthcare institutions, and a strong talent pool. We are attracting great talent from outside of Connecticut as well – our Chief Technology Officer came from the Bay Area to join the team. We look forward to continuing to grow here,” said Greg Makoul, Founder and CEO of PatientWisdom.

Murphy believes entrepreneurship and innovation are building blocks for a strong economy. In the U.S. Senate, he has introduced two bipartisan pieces of legislation to incentivize angel investors to put more money into startup companies – the Angel Tax Credit Act and the Helping Angels Lead Our Startups (HALOS) Act. Startup companies create an average of 2 million jobs each year.

 

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