Today’s guest is Dr. Amar Setty, an anesthesiologist who trained in medicine and worked on Capitol Hill before co-founding Patient Premier, a startup reimagining how we measure and manage pain. Patient Premier provides anesthesiologists with standardized, data-driven assessments to track pain, activity, and mood
In this episode, we explore his path from medical school and health policy to launching a data-driven pain tracking platform that helps patients and providers make smarter decisions. Amar shares how Patient Premier’s “Pain Scored” platform goes beyond the traditional 1–10 scale to capture a fuller picture of pain using remote monitoring and behavioral data. He also discusses the challenges of building a startup in healthcare, from navigating reimbursement models to integrating with clinical workflows. This conversation offers a grounded look at how better data can improve care, reduce opioid dependence, and reshape how we think about value in medicine.
Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro to Amar and Patient Premier
1:00 – Working on healthcare policy in D.C.
3:30 – Switching from neurology to anesthesiology
5:50 – Learning the business side of medicine
7:10 – Advocacy during the opioid crisis
8:45 – How Patient Premier got started
10:20 – Remote monitoring and data reimbursement
13:00 – Aligning incentives in healthcare
17:00 – Early startup struggles and hiring
24:45 – Future goals and mission-driven vision