Google joining us to change the mental health of the nation

This post was originally published on Medium. 

Diagnosable, treatable behavioral health conditions afflict one in five Americans each year.  These adults and youth account for more than half of annual total healthcare costs, yet the majority do not receive good treatment for their behavioral health conditions.

Over two-thirds of adults with behavioral health conditions also have at least one physical health condition. Their treatment patterns are often a heartbreaking zig-zag through our healthcare system, in which physical symptoms are treated, but co-occurring behavioral issues are left unaddressed - leading to worse physical health outcomes, lots of avoidable acute medical care, and a really bad experience for the patients and families involved.

The stigma that is still associated with behavioral illnesses - the misapprehension that these conditions are somehow deficiencies of character, or of willpower - further diminishes the likelihood that those affected will access the treatment they need.

The current lack of collaboration across behavioral and physical healthcare in the United States hurts our sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, colleagues and loved ones. The impact is felt everywhere, and yet this issue remains in the shadows.

Society desperately wants, and deserves, a better answer. This has been our mission at Quartet and last week we got a huge shot in the arm. GV (formerly Google Ventures) has led our $40 million Series B. Google joins a growing community of investors, insurance companies, healthcare providers, patients and Quartetians who have locked arms with us to change the way behavioral healthcare is delivered to over 50 million Americans in need each year.

At Quartet, we make behavioral healthcare more convenient, effective and integrated for patients. We create pathways between primary care providers and a curated network of behavioral health providers and give patients access to convenient care options like telemedicine and online cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). We steep all of this in cutting-edge data science algorithms that enrich the experience with tailored insights and recommendations.

The best surprise for me since launching Quartet has been how many people connect with this mission. Our clinician users, investors, our customers, all of our wonderful Quartetians. Everyone has someone close to them who has been touched by mental health issues.

We’re so lucky to have GV join us. Their expertise, resources, and googly brilliance is just awesome and a huge boon to our commitment to delivering exceptional outcomes for patients in need.