Oh baby! How a physician-led health tech enterprise is helping new parents—and lightening docs' loads

Some people might assume that when two physicians have a baby together, their shared knowledge would help them breeze easily through the challenges of parenthood. That wasn’t the case with Toronto obstetrician gynecologist Dr. Yolanda Kirkham and her physician husband. When they welcomed their new baby about three years ago, they came up against a number of unexpected challenges. “We’re two doctors but we found there were still times we didn’t know how to handle our baby,” recalled Dr. Kirkham. “That really made me realize there are gaps in care for new parents and even when resources exist you still need to navigate the system to get them.” That gap is what Dr. Kirkham and the rest of the founding team at health tech company Koble Care Inc., have been working to close over the last two years. Read: Nothing beats the human voice Launched in 2021, under the leadership of CEO Swati Matta—whose career in technology dates back to the mid-aughts when she was research software developer at Toronto’s University Health Network and whose most recent role before Koble was with health platform provider League Inc.—Koble is an online platform that connects expecting and new parents to health information and to fertility, pregnancy and postpartum experts. Subscribers to Koble get access to educational videos led by perinatal experts that include Dr. Kirkham, a lactation consultant, pediatric nurse, pelvic floor physiotherapist, psychotherapists, doulas, a sleep coach, and anesthesiologist. There’s also a naturopathic doctor, grief and loss specialist, a chiropractor and registered massage therapist, an osteopath and a career and leadership coach. “We made a lot of effort to ensure we’re addressing the needs of the entire family,” said Dr. Kirkham. “Our videos cover a wide spectrum of needs, from before you’re even pregnant to the first two years of parenthood.” Topics discussed in the videos range from the expected—prenatal vitamins, breastfeeding and sleep—to more under-the-radar issues such as postpartum bowel movements and how to ensure both partners are supported in parenthood. Read: Old wives tales Having access to expert-led, evidence-based information can save patients a lot of grief and ease the strain on the health system, said Dr. Kirkham. “Sometimes just knowing something as simple as making sure to have extra food and snacks for that postpartum person can really make a difference in their physical recovery and mental health,” she said. “Or knowing how to access urgent care and not necessarily emergency care if that’s not what’s needed. We see a lot of postpartum patients in emergency and they’re waiting four or five hours, sometimes with their baby because they have to nurse.” Koble could also help family physicians and other healthcare providers have more efficient and productive appointments with patients who are expecting or have just had a baby, said Dr. Kirkham. “When patients aren’t coming in with a hundred questions from their whirlwind Internet tour, then that helps doctors move their practice along more quickly,” she said. “We hope doctors will spread the word about Koble and connect their patients with us.” Koble subscriptions—which may be covered by extended health plans’ health or personal savings accounts—start at $9.99 a month for self-guided video courses and the ability to book appointments with the platform’s team of experts. A comprehensive subscription, for $19.99 a month, also includes one-to-one coaching with a dedicated expert. Yearly rates are available for each membership level. Read:App for overwhelmed parents offers clinical advice

Oh baby! How a physician-led health tech enterprise is helping new parents—and lightening docs' loads

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