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The Founders Story

"Scott and I knew we couldn't turn a blind eye—we had a call to action fuelled by a blend of personal and professional experience and a deep-seated belief that we could make a difference."

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It was January 2020, and I found myself with severe ear pain flared up from chronic sinusitis and an ear infection. I turned to my local GP for help, who referred me to an ENT specialist - someone he knew and regarded. Keen for relief, I immediately rang the practice, only to hit a wall: I was met with the news of a six-month waitlist. Imagine that—half a year of waiting for something that needed immediate attention. Although the receptionist was kind, her hands were tied. So, I returned to my GP, hoping for an alternative option. What happened next was a scene straight out of a bygone era: my GP started Googling for other options, "ENT near me" I think his search was. It was a moment of disbelief. Here we were, relying on the digital equivalent of a shot in the dark because my general practitioner lacked something as basic as a database of healthcare providers and their availability. I was aware that my problem was hardly life-threatening. Still, I remember thinking at the time, imagine if it was, and what if I was older and less adept with technology? How would I have felt? This experience sparked a thought that the current referral pathways could cause patients to navigate their care in confusion, stress and delay. It was an interesting contrast; working in real estate technology, I spent years leveraging the power of information to help people navigate some of life's big decisions Curious and concerned, I contacted one of my best mates, Scott, a physiotherapist who owned his own practice, to share my experience (partly suspecting it was just an isolated incident). However, our conversation quickly revealed that this problem seemed systemic, impacting both patients and healthcare providers with widespread inefficiencies. At this point, it was around April 2020 and early into the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many, we both had some extra time on our hands and decided to embark on an extensive research journey. Our findings were stark, and the extent of the problem hit us hard. As we dove deeper, the numbers painted a grim picture - nearly 1 million referrals for initial consultations with specialists are issued monthly in the private sector alone. A 2020–21 report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showed that among people aged 15 and over who needed a medical specialist in that last year, 19.1% either postponed or did not see a specialist at all. This translates to nearly 2 million individuals not receiving the recommended healthcare. Scott and I learned that the status quo leads to many misconceptions. One is the belief that there aren't enough doctors, which is a primary reason for extended wait times. We discovered that for the majority of specialties, there is enough supply to meet the demand. The problem is that there isn't a light shining bright enough, and we are left with what we call "hidden supply." The lack of infrastructure to effectively coordinate care between specialties is more than a systemic flaw; it was a crisis, silently eroding the well-being of countless individuals—not to mention contributing to unnecessary suffering, preventable complications and, sadly, premature mortality. It was at this point when Scott and I knew we couldn't turn a blind eye—we had a call to action fuelled by a blend of personal and professional experience and a deep-seated belief that we could make a difference. We threw ourselves into creating Zable Health. Our vision was clear: to develop a healthcare marketplace that not only connects but empowers, a platform where GPs and patients have at their fingertips what they need most—information. Availability, wait times, costs, and transparency became our rallying cry against the opacity of the old system. Fast forward four years to July 1st, 2024, and we are excited to officially launch Zable to the Australian public. What began as a shared frustration has transformed into a mission-driven endeavour powered by a team as passionate as we are. We're not just building a platform but crafting a future where no one has to feel powerless in their healthcare journey. A future where the path to wellness is clear, accessible, and fair for all Australians. This isn't just our story. It's a narrative that belongs to everyone who's ever felt lost in the healthcare maze. Together, we're turning the page towards better health outcomes, one transparent step at a time. We won't stop until patients have the healthcare experience they expect and deserve, and it's what we're working on every day.

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Zable Health is an Australian healthcare platform on a mission to improve patient outcomes by creating clearer pathways to care.

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