Sector: Technology/Medical/ Health
Principal: Jason Morehouse
Year Launched: 2023
Unique Selling Proposition: Getting meaningful mental health help is a battle, so having timely, credible and effective care is a victory.
Strategy: By combining clinically backed science with an intelligent platform for professionals and individuals, mental health assessment and care is faster and personalized.
Website: hiboop.com
At the KWENCH coworking space, the frenetic brains behind HiBoop are working to fast-track and fine-tune mental health care. Led by founder Jason Morehouse, the six-person team has created a mental-health assessment tool that cuts down diagnostic time.
“We’re doing better, quicker,” says Morehouse. (The name HiBoop is an expression Morehouse uses when checking in with his children.)
The double whammy is accomplished via an initial self-assessment tool for people to complete on their own time, anywhere. HiBoop then employs a scientifically backed algorithm that randomizes questions, which then generates scores for various conditions. These results are compiled into a holistic mental health profile, which guides health-care providers toward appropriate care. Because less diagnostic time is required, more time is created for actual work to improve mental health.
As well, HiBoop uses an intuitive platform, with continuous updates and enhancement, meaning the most recent psychiatric research is captured. “We’ve built an algorithm to connect the dots, to make connections sooner,” Morehouse says.
With over 30 successful years working on leading-edge tech products, including Checkfront (which he founded), Morehouse was spurred to create HiBoop after his own mental health challenges. Because it was so difficult to get prompt, quality care, he chose a private facility that, while effective, came at a high price tag and thus was not available to many.
In B.C., physicians spend about 10 minutes with a patient, while mental health assessments can have hundreds of questions. The prolonged process means that a diagnosis and appropriate care may require months of to-and-fro.
In October, HiBoop began a pilot program with The Healing Institute to gain feedback on the platform. The goal is to have cross- Canada exposure, followed by U.S. uptake, says Shannon Potts, HiBoop’s marketing director. “The ultimate goal is to help the individual on a mass scale,” she says.
