Each year, about 30k adolescents go through scoliosis surgery that drills a rod into their spines, costing at least $250k per patient even before considering post-surgery treatment. That’s a $7.5 billion annual cost. And it starts from unsustained habits. Scoliosis patients are typically prescribed a brace to be worn for up to 20 hours daily to prevent surgery. But with sparse physician follow-ups and the lack of a motivation system, many patients fail to adhere to brace wearing, directly increasing the need for surgery.

Poez seeks to provide a motivation system for patients by gamifying the process. To patients, Poez is like BeReal with rewards. Users get a daily reminder to log their bracing activity by taking a real-time photo using the app. Consistent daily bracing builds streaks that not only are celebrated on social leaderboards but also earn rewards that can be redeemed through in-app transactions. To caregivers and physicians, Poez is the Apple Health for brace wearing - a dashboard that bridges the data gap where there is limited information on patient adherence. To insurers, Poez directly reduces claims costs by preventing surgery. 1 surgery prevented translates to cost savings that can fund annual subscriptions for 2,500 patients. To researchers, Poez is a valuable data source to support longitudinal studies on an under-researched but prevalent condition. The long-term ambition is to scale this habit-building ecosystem beyond the beachhead market of scoliosis. We can transform any chronic health condition that requires consistent lifestyle changes: diabetes, obesity, etc. We want to build a supportive ecosystem for patients with chronic conditions to take better charge of their personal lives.