Vida, the company that helps patients manage chronic disease, has recently raised $5 million in startup funding from investors including Khosla Ventures, Aspect Ventures and Signia Venture Partners, as well as individuals like Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang.

Founded by Google’s former commerce chief and (also former) eBay executive Stephanie Tilenius, Vida wants to help users get healthy, reduce stress levels and lose weight through online “health coaches.”

Tilenius said she started the company after witnessing her father struggling with his health, while existing coaching tools were too expensive.

For $15 a week, patients can ask questions, and receive medication reminders and health advice from Vida’s team of coaches including nurses, medical assistants, nutritionists and doctors. These coaches are hand-picked and paid on an hourly basis to ensure high-quality care.

Aside from patients, Vida’s platform is also open to doctors and other caregivers who can request access to the app to monitor progress over time.

For $15 a week, patients can ask questions, and receive medication reminders and health advice from Vida’s team of health coaches.Vida’s mobile app is integrated with Apple’s HealthKit service to pull in patient-generated data from fitness tracking apps, wearable and other mobile medical devices, such as glucometers. An Android version will released in the coming months.

The startup is looking to partner with major U.S. hospitals, like the MD Anderson Cancer Center and Duke University Hospital, which are using the app to deliver remote care to chronically ill patients. Tilenius said the company is also testing its product with employers, though no names were named.

Chronic diseases account for more than three-quarters of U.S. health-care spending, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

[Via: Reuters]