ExSitu

ExSitu is one example of how research is helping to take a business to the next level.

ExSitu is based on a simple yet incredibly valuable concept – providing an easy and accessible way for participants to communicate their needs and their values to their loved ones and carers.

Since launching in 2019, it has helped give voice to and take the stress out of decisions for countless individuals who need support as the navigate healthcare systems.

However, co-founders and executive directors April Creed and Rebecca Glover say that to truly allow ExSitu to thrive and grow, and ensure it is based on best-practice, collaboration with researchers is fundamental.

Both Rebecca and April bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to ExSitu. They are passionate about customer experience and the role of technology in creating a respectful,  helpful, and meaningful product.

Rebecca and April are partnering with researchers from the Australian Health Services Research Institute (AHSRI) at the University of Wollongong, a relationship that was facilitated through the support of iAccelerate’s dedicated research team.

In addition to bringing researchers together with resident start-ups, iAccelerate, with support of the Innovation and Commercial Research Unit at UOW, helps the partnerships to apply for grants and external funding. In some instances, the grants are led by researchers and sometimes, they are led by the start-ups, but the outcomes of external partnerships and funding benefit all parties and involved.

“Our purpose and research for being is to help people express their core values, their wishes and non-clinical needs,” Rebecca says. “People reflect on what’s important, on the things that are difficult to think about when they are the midst of a health crisis. They are able to create their own care plan that can be used by their family or health provider.”

April says it is not just about major decisions, but also the day to day minutiae of life that may get lost in the fray.

“ExSitu is a pathway to understand those granular details of a person; what do they care about? What matters to them? What decisions need to be made? It facilitates those conversations.”

Combining design thinking with an easy-to-use platform has helped to make ExSitu a vital tool for end of life planning, but Rebecca and April are working to ensure that every aspect of their work is based on best-practice research. That’s where the team from AHSRI come in. The teams will be working together to undertake research into the outcomes of end-of-life planning and decision making in settings such as aged care.

“One of the things that we are really keen on is ensuring that ExSitu is informed by research moving forward. There is lots of evidence about the need for end of life planning, not as much evidence about the outcomes of that, of having conversations with loved ones and how that reduces trauma for loved ones.

“Traditional advance care planning is scary and difficult, and can often lead people in a certain direction. Our work with AHSRI will help us to create more meaningful planning. We are really keen to get that evidence base behind the work we are doing.

“It is not just applicable to aged care settings but to all health care settings. It is really important to us, as we move into broader health applications and settings, to underpin what we do with research. Without that collaboration with AHSRI, our progress would be slowed down. We understand the value of our product, we just need it to be supported by research to ensure it is creating the best possible outcomes for our participants.”

Rebecca and April’s relationship with iAccelerate has evolved since ExSitu became part of the incubator’s stable. From gaining an understanding of business models and learning how to pitch, to building and testing their product, ExSitu has gained valuable insight into how to build a business. Now, as iAccelerate places a greater focus on research, and pairing start-ups with the wealth of academic knowledge at the University of Wollongong, Rebecca says the timing for ExSitu is perfect.

“iAccelerate doesn’t push you down a certain path. It allows you to grow in your time. However, as iAccelerate has begun to really increase its work with researchers, the timing has been so fortuitous for us because that is where ExSitu needs to be.

“The connection with the university opens up so many different opportunities for startups. The potential to scale and improve and change, while drawing on the knowledge of the university’s research community, is incredibly rich.”