Is there a doctor in the house? The answer may always be, “yes.”
Many people are searching for new ways to get medical care and gone may be the days of waiting in the doctor’s office thanks to the new mobile app age. The new Doctor On Demand app for Android and iOS will allow you to see the doctor from wherever you are.
“It’s the virtual house call,” co-founder Jay McGraw said during an interview with CBS 2′s Mary Calvi. “Anywhere that you are, you just pull out your iPhone, your Android device, your iPod, iPad, anything like that and using our app you’re face-to-face with a doctor in seconds.”
Calvi: People do want to feel comfortable with their doctor. How do you make sure these doctors are trustworthy?How do you choose these doctors?
McGraw: We take that so seriously because your health is the single most important aspect of your life. We spend a lot of time making sure that we have only board certified, licensed doctors in your state or your city. Then we really spend time with them, one-on-one, to make sure that they are top-notch, gold standard doctors and you’re going to get the best care that you can.
Calvi: What about concerns about patient confidentiality?
McGraw: We’re 100 percent HIPAA compliant. It’s the same amount of privacy that you would have if you went to a typical doctor’s office or an urgent care facility.
Calvi: So why would people use this? Can these doctors prescribe medication?
McGraw: They can. Six years ago, I created ‘The Doctors,’ and I’ve got a lot of access to medical care, so I don’t go to the doctor’s office anymore. What I decided to do was say, ‘How can I create my medical experience for the general consumer?’ I take propecia so I don’t look like my dad Dr. Phil and I don’t need to go into a doctor’s office to get that refill the same as you don’t really need to go in when you’ve got the flu. At this point it takes so long to get a doctor’s appointment that you’re over the flu by the time you get in to see the doctor, where here, we can get you on the phone with him, video chat, your Z-Pak is called in to the pharmacy down the street and it takes a matter of minutes.
Calvi: Some people might ask though, in the end, will they really feel comfortable or will they end up having to see a doctor anyway?
McGraw: For most situations, you’re not going to need to come in to see the doctor. All the situations that this is appropriate for. But if you do need to see a doctor, a lot of times it’s a specialist, and we’ll make that referral. This is the general medical stuff — cold and flu, if your teenager has acne, if your little ones are dealing with a cold or an ear infection, urinary tract infection, birth control refills — those are the kinds of things where you say, ‘I know what I need, I just don’t have the ability to get it.’ Doctor On Demand is going to give you great care, we’re gonna answer the questions and we’re gonna prescribe the appropriate medication.
Photo credit: PC World
Via CBS New York