Chronic care management startup Lyn Health emerged from stealth Monday with the goal of officially launching early next year.

The company, backed by Summer VC, aims to focus on patients with multiple chronic conditions by working with health plans, employers and providers.

It offers a multidisciplinary team of clinicians that connect with patients virtually, coordinate care, assist with medication management and provide behavioral health support. Lyn also touts a single point of contact for patients who can be accessed at any time.

“We are failing those who need us most,” cofounder and CEO Rick Abbott said in a statement. “My family and I have personally experienced the adversity and anxiety far too often associated with managing multiple chronic conditions.

"When I was presented with the opportunity to tackle this problem – which I believe is the single largest one in healthcare – I felt a moral obligation to start Lyn. Each and every one of us has someone in our life who would benefit from greater love, empathy and compassion, and our mission at Lyn is to restore hope for our families, friends and loved ones.”

WHY IT MATTERS

Chronic conditions, like heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, COPD or arthritis, are prevalent in the U.S. According to the CDC, more than half of adults had been diagnosed with at least one of 10 selected chronic conditions in 2018, and about 27% had more than one.

Chronic conditions were also associated with lower health-related quality of life, the most common effects being anxiety, depression and chronic pain, according to a 2013 study. Multiple conditions also significantly increased the likelihood of being hospitalized. 

THE LARGER TREND

Managing chronic conditions is a growing trend in digital health. One Drop, which initially focused on diabetes care, in October launched a new product aimed at preventing cardiovascular disease. 

One Medical, a membership-based primary care company, also recently launched its own chronic care management platform, Impact by One Medical. It aims to utilize its primary care offerings to prevent and address chronic diseases.

Others in the chronic care space include Alphabet-owned Onduo, Sweetch and Carbon Health, which moved into chronic-condition management with the acquisition of Steady Health in July.

Just last week, Carbon launched a metabolic health assessment program to identify patients at high risk of developing diabetes.