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/Our Story – Outcomes4Me
We’re the first and only direct-to-patient, AI-driven platform that integrates with the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®).
Maya R. Said, Sc.D., Founder & CEO
Sami Shalabi, Founder & COO
We do so by providing patients with the tools to take charge of their health data while accelerating research and improving access.
Innovation within the pharmaceutical industry has had tremendous impact: drug discovery has changed–and saved–so many lives. When I was leading global access and policy for oncology at Novartis, though, I came to realize there is a real gap in terms of enabling value-based care. Patients do not always understand how treatments are being given or how they can access the treatments they need, which leads to poor health outcomes.
When I was still working at Novartis, I had a health scare that was serious enough to require surgery and the need to navigate the health system for a period of 6 months. Even though I had access to premium health insurance and a network of medically-savvy family, friends, and colleagues, it was confusing, overwhelming, and frightening. I had always believed during my career in life sciences that I was patient-focused, and then the first time I became a patient myself, I realized I did not have a clue what patients actually endure. That experience is what led me to create Outcomes4Me, along with oncologist Osama Rahma, and my friend Sami Shalabi. We are on a mission to improve outcomes for all, and to democratize healthcare–starting with cancer. We believe that we can change the world, and play a central role in curing cancer—and most importantly, ensure that everyone around the world can benefit from innovative therapies.
I sold my first startup to Google, and spent 12 years as a Google executive building consumer tech at scale. After growing both Google News and Google Play Newsstand to more than a billion users each, I have seen how profoundly personal technology can change the fabric of our daily lives–and quickly. I entered the oncology world after family members unfortunately were diagnosed with cancer. As I tried to help, I quickly came to understand that a cancer treatment plan can look a lot like a software development decision tree. There are national guidelines that oncologists follow, based upon a patient’s unique diagnosis and disease stage. The problem is that the system isn’t set up for true shared decision-making between patients and their providers, and patients are often in the dark about their options.
That is when I joined with Maya–a friend I had known for two decades, since our undergraduate days at MIT–and Osama, to build Outcomes4Me. We are using artificial intelligence and machine learning to re-center power with patients as they navigate their care. As a technologist, I believe we can bring the simplicity of the most popular consumer tech to empower cancer patients to improve their own health outcomes.
When I was studying medicine, I chose the field of oncology for the challenge. At the time when I selected my specialty, there were few effective treatments for cancer. Cancer is the major medical problem that we do not have answers for, and I have always been driven by the need to support patients and find those answers.
After many years at the National Cancer Institute within the National Institutes of Health (NIH), I moved to Dana-Farber to do clinical research and drug development. During my time at both NIH and then Dana-Farber, I was always stunned that patients are forced to travel halfway around the world to figure out if a premier institution has a trial for them. I witnessed the tremendous burden placed on people who have cancer to not only navigate their disease but also do the research necessary to uncover the very best treatments. When the entire digital revolution is personalized, you should not be a patient searching for information; it should be coming to you and customized based upon who you are. We founded the company because we want to not only give patients access to their data, but also bypass the bureaucracy of institutions solely being in charge of data, information, and access. We believe that direct-to-patient clinical guidance regarding treatment innovation will not only break down the silos that exist within healthcare but improve both patient and provider experiences and outcomes.
When you’re diagnosed with cancer, the burden often falls on you to be your
own advocate, and you resort to a Google search to learn about your
condition and what ultimately can be done to help. Looking for treatment recommendations, clinical trials, and questions to ask your oncologist can
be both confusing and misleading, leaving you with even more questions
and an unimaginable sense of anxiety.
Outcomes4Me originated directly from this patient insight. We meet
patients where they are clinically in their diagnosis, physically,
and emotionally.
Outcomes4Me is an AI-driven platform, and has the only digital platform that integrates with the NCCN Guidelines® and makes them patient-facing.
When patients securely provide their medical history and health records to Outcomes4Me, the platform provides personalized guidance based upon their unique diagnosis and disease stage, including treatment options, clinical trials, and potential genetic testing options.
