As seen in Healthcare Global

A new virtual clinic has launched that delivers menopause care via video calls.

Bia Care provides remote care and personalised treatments, giving women a confidential setting to share their experiences.

The idea for Bia Care was conceived by Fernanda Dobal and Dr David Huang in 2020, inspired by the pair’s regular visits to a menopause cafe in south London before the pandemic stopped in-person gatherings. They decided to create the virtual clinic as a solution for women constrained by the expertise and waiting lists of their local doctors.

Results from a joint study with Imperial College London found that out of over 1,550 women aged 40-70 in the UK show that only a third reported having the tools and understanding to manage their menopause. The results of the study will be presented at the Royal College of GPs Annual Conference later in 2021.

Treatment options available through the clinic include hormone replacement therapy (HRT), nutrition advice, physiotherapy and emotional fitness; thanks to Bia Care's research partnership with Imperial College London, any innovations in menopause care are backed by scientific investigation.

“We founded Bia Care to help the increasing number of women who are no longer willing to suffer through menopause in silence" explains Fernanda Dobal, CEO & Co-founder. "Remote care means that women aren’t subject to a geographic lottery and can access a specialist doctor in Oxfordshire and a dietitian in London, all from the comfort of their home over video call.

"We also know that everyone experiences menopause differently, but is to a large degree a collective experience - and so we provide group consultations where people can come together and not just see a clinician, but also learn from each other and share what they’re going through.”

Bia Care was incubated by Zinc VC, a leading social impact accelerator in the UK, as well as Kamet Ventures, a leading health tech investor. Kamet’s expertise in the healthcare industry led them to identify a significant market gap around menopause care.

“Menopause care has been an under-researched and under-financed market to date, despite the fact that half the population could benefit from improved treatments in this area” said Michael Niddam, Managing Director of Kamet Ventures.

“In Bia Care we identified massive potential to address a market that is demanding better solutions. Bia’s virtual clinic improves the delivery of menopause care by providing it directly to the user and has the ability to scale to help thousands of women.”

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