Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition affecting millions of people in the U.S. Sufferers have uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts and behaviors. It can interfere with school, work and home life. Best friends Stephen Michael Smith and Daniel Greenfeld developed a new app called nOCD to help those with OCD.
Smith is a quarterback at Pomona University who suffers from OCD and was barely able to leave the house. Since 2014 he's worked with Greenfield and they've developed an app to help with some of the most chronic impacts of OCD. "My worst episodes never occurred when my doctor was with me, so when I needed help the most I was always on my own," Smith says.
The app is Greenfeld's first venture since graduating from Trinity University in 2014. He moved to Denver thereafter and began working on launching the app. He and Smith quickly raised $80,000 in funding to launch the app and recruited board members, including health entrepreneur Glenn Tullman, founder of AllScripts and CEO of Livingo Health.
The app launched in February 2016 and already Smith and Greenfeld are improving on it and its associated services. It offers guidance when needed and homework, allowing users to work on their compulsive behavior on their own time. It also records real-time biometric data, tracks types of episodes, offers guided cognitive behavioral exercises and keeps users accountable to staying on track with their treatment.
"We've gotten a wonderful response," Greenfeld says. He explains that the tool is designed not just for those with OCD but also for those who deliver treatment. "One of the ways we tried to create the tool is to make it useful for therapists." As such, the founders are launching a therapist portal that will allow therapists to securely access their patient information, whether they're dealing with just one or 30 or more patients with OCD.
"The future of healthcare is all about empowering consumers to take better care of themselves, and apps like nOCD are a perfect fit for enabling people when they feel an OCD episode coming on. They actually take charge and take control to better manage their own health," Tullman contends.
The app currently costs 99 cents in the Apple Store and offers two free months of use. After that users can pay $14.99 a month or $99 a year for its services. It's currently available for iOS devices, but the development team already is working on a port for Android devices.
Contact Confluence Denver Innovation & Jobs News Editor Chris Meehan with tips and leads for future stories at chris@confluence-denver.com.
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