Nine Plus Life

 Israel is the country with the highest birth rate in the Western world. During pregnancy, an Israeli mother will undergo 17 pregnancy tests - the highest total in all the countries in the world. However, even with all the focus on the physical health of the mother and her unborn child, there is almost no focus on her mental status - even though western medicine has long accepted the close connection between mental health and physical health (  as evidence,the placebo effect has shown that mental status directly affects the chances of recovery, to the point of complete recovery without the use of medication!).

Unlike traditional societies, women in the modern world have lost the tribal, feminine support system, and accordingly all the knowledge and experience regarding pregnancy, childbirth and child care, which accumulated over generations. Therefore, many women go through the long months of pregnancy almost alone, often without so much needed support, sometimes experiencing anxiety.

The need

During pregnancy, the quest for information and answers to questions occurs on an almost daily basis. In Israel, pregnant women usually see their obstretician on a monthly basis to receive professional information, get the health of the pregnancy evaluated, and receive treatment or medication when necessary. Neither of these do not address the emotional aspects of pregnancy. Therefore, between the monthly meetings, many women search for answers on Google or consult online forums. Yet aspects discussed in the forums rarely exactly match specific questions women are looking for answers to. Many questions revolve around stress and lack of information issues: What will happen during the medical examination? What is the next step? How am I supposed to feel now? and so on. A survey conducted by the company shows that today women wait between half a day to four days for a response - a very long time during which the woman often experience stress and uncertainty. This has the potential of harming the pregnancy's stability and burdening the public health systems, from private insurance companies to the national social security agency, with significant economic costs.

To date, no real and accessible solution has been provided for emotional and personalized support during pregnancy. Today, even those who use doula service will do so only when they are due to give birth, as other professional advice is very expensive and is not accessible to most women. In addition, women who live far from central cities have even less access to professional counseling of any kind.

The solution

Nine Plus Life is the first company in the world to offer pregnant women a close, personal  and certified advisor from the beginning of pregnancy until after birth, using a web-based platform. The advisor  is available 24/7 and will be able to  calm the client , answer any questions she may have before her next visit to the gynecologist, and refer her to relevant medical advisors if necessary – all the while providing emotional support and a sense of security across the board - at an affordable price.

The company has developed a groundbreaking technological platform thattakes pyschological counseling a step further by integrating it with advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology. It that  provides qualified consultants with real-time information about the pregnant women they talk to andgenerates in-depth insights based on textual behavior.

From the media -

Yent - https://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-5420412,00.html

Geektime- https://www.geektime.co.il/nine-plus-life/

The technology

The company has developed a unique AI algorithm, which has several roles:

1. It uses the pregnant woman’s character traits, expectations about the process and personal wishes to precisely match her with the most appropriate  doula for her.

2. It optimizes the advising process - the robot learns the characteristics and behavior patterns of the client through the chat correspondence and helps the matched doula provide the most appropriate and accurate response possible.

3. It helps the doula by alerting her of any changes in the woman's behavior patterns. artificial intelligence is used to monitor changes in behavior patterns and alert the professional staff about possible complications which might indicate the pregnant woman is feeling depressed, anxious or other forms of mental distress.

How does it work?

The company employs more than 100 professionals from a variety of carefully selected specialties, all of whom are certified and authorized to treat pregnant women. The professional advisors include doulas, certified breastfeeding counselors, developmental experts, and more. Today, the system operates in three languages: English, Hebrew and Russian, with Arabic and French  to be added at a later stage.

How It Works:

1. Filling out a questionnaire: The pregnant woman enters the platform and fills out a short questionnaire.

2. Match between client and advisor: A special algorithm connects the pregnant woman to the most suitable advisor. It browses the databases of  personnel and looks for the most suitable professional for the mother based on her answers, with different priorities being assigined to different questions (e.g.,common language might be "more important" to the pregnant woman than where she wishes to give birth).

3. The advising process begins - online chat 24/7 until birth: After a match between the advisor and the client has been found, a personal chat room opens for their use . The care-taker sends a message every day, whether contacted or not, with a daily tip and a list of weekly tasks, for the pregnant woman to perform, in three categories: the body, nutrition and the mind.

4. Warning of unusual behavior which may indicate distress: The system alerts on unusual activity and warns the care-taker and other relevant professional staff.

5. Option to continue with the advisor during the birth and afterwards.

6. After birth and for 6 weeks, the mother continues to receive support through the chat.

7. After birth, the advisor will arrive for  one follow-up meeting in order to provide the mother with initial assistance about caring for the newborn in terms of  breastfeeding, sleep, proper nutrition and more.

business and revenue model

The company's business model is B2B/B2B2C:

the company offers its costomers 4 different plans:

1.   Doula 24/7 + Online Childbirth Preparation Course

2.   Doula – accompanies you at birth + comes to your home one time after birth

      You are eligible for a 75% refund from your health fund

3.   Doula – The total support package

4.   The full package:

      Personalized doula matching

      Online response available 24/7

      Online Childbirth Preparation Course

      Doula accompaniesto the delivery

      Ddoula assists in the delivery room

      Post-natal meeting at home

Implementation of technology / service by public entities such as the following:

• Insurance companies which may offer the service as part of their policy.

• Public and private HMOs: In Israel, HMOs already provide a 75% refund on doula services during childbirth and pregnancy insurance packages include complementary health treatments.

• Hospitals: We are already in advanced negotiations with two leading hospitals in Israel.

The next steps

The company plans to develop additional products that will provide comprehensive solutions to support pregnant women and their relationship with the caregivers, in order to enable optimal treatment continuity.

The next development is a dedicated portal and an application for IVF patients during fertility treatments. The technology is based on a patient's affiliation with the medical staff (doctor, nurse, social worker, administration) and full integration into the hospital systems or any other supporting system.

Additional technological capabilities: application services registration, application-on-demand (videos, tasks, tips), online chat with a service provider (nurse, doctor, administration). Functional innovation which enables continuity of treatment, includes access to the patients' medical files, anywhere and in real time. Interactive chat which provides reminders and personally matched guidance sessions, tasks and daily tips. Uploading of new relevant content for pregnant or fertility-treated women.

The goal of the development is to create a continuous and interactive digital media triangle between the caregivers, patients and their partners. The goals are: reducing loads, optimizing and improving work processes, creating a quality and safe continuum of care, preventing mistakes and the possibility of better treatment that will lead to better clinical results.