The current trend in the IT industry seems to take a service that's already offered. And then make it convenient by giving access to it via the now ubiquitous smart phone.
HealthTap does exactly this to the health industry. What makes this service different is the access and costs. Unlike the other services there's a huge entry barrier in health. Access is not readily available. Last year when I wanted to meet a doctor for a regular checkup, most doctors offices would only schedule me after 3 months. And none of these services are cheap. Even with insurance.
HealthTap makes available a large number of doctors (more than 60,000 as per the website) who answer health questions for free. They have also announced a paid service where you can get virtual consulting via your phone, tablet or computer where physicians would also give prescriptions if required.
There is also the usual health tips, checklists, news articles and other tit bits.The interesting aspect I found bout HealthTap is the positioning. They don't talk about doctors and hospitals, illness, treatments and similar terms associated with health. They've taken the wellness route and considering its a virtual platform, that makes it easier to get subscribers.
You're more likely to sign up for staying well as opposed to being ill and wanting to get well.
Here are some quotes from the website.
"
What we’re all about: Feeling Good. We created HealthTap to help you and your loved ones live healthier, happier, longer lives.
How did we get here?
We asked, what do people really want when it comes to healthcare? We took our aggregate decades of medical and computer science expertise, our business acumen, and the experience we’ve gained from serving and surveying hundreds of millions of people and hundreds of thousands of doctors over the years, and came to three major conclusions:
People want a completely trustworthy source of health and wellness advice
It has to come from the most knowledgeable and trustworthy experts. That means doctors. Nobody else will do.
When people want help with their health, they want it immediately
That means getting help when you need it—not at someone else’s convenience. No waiting.
No excuses.
People want health advice to be completely personalized
Forget generalized information. You need a doctor to hear your questions, consider your symptoms, examine your records, for the help to be truly and utterly helpful.
"
HealthTap has stumbled upon a methodology that the Affordable Health Care Act has failed to do. Make it possible to have access effective as well as cost effective health care. Hopefully the health care industry can learn a few lessons and integrate those with the current health system making affordable health care a reality.
HealthTap does exactly this to the health industry. What makes this service different is the access and costs. Unlike the other services there's a huge entry barrier in health. Access is not readily available. Last year when I wanted to meet a doctor for a regular checkup, most doctors offices would only schedule me after 3 months. And none of these services are cheap. Even with insurance.
HealthTap makes available a large number of doctors (more than 60,000 as per the website) who answer health questions for free. They have also announced a paid service where you can get virtual consulting via your phone, tablet or computer where physicians would also give prescriptions if required.
There is also the usual health tips, checklists, news articles and other tit bits.The interesting aspect I found bout HealthTap is the positioning. They don't talk about doctors and hospitals, illness, treatments and similar terms associated with health. They've taken the wellness route and considering its a virtual platform, that makes it easier to get subscribers.
You're more likely to sign up for staying well as opposed to being ill and wanting to get well.
Here are some quotes from the website.
"
What we’re all about: Feeling Good. We created HealthTap to help you and your loved ones live healthier, happier, longer lives.
How did we get here?
We asked, what do people really want when it comes to healthcare? We took our aggregate decades of medical and computer science expertise, our business acumen, and the experience we’ve gained from serving and surveying hundreds of millions of people and hundreds of thousands of doctors over the years, and came to three major conclusions:
People want a completely trustworthy source of health and wellness advice
It has to come from the most knowledgeable and trustworthy experts. That means doctors. Nobody else will do.
When people want help with their health, they want it immediately
That means getting help when you need it—not at someone else’s convenience. No waiting.
No excuses.
People want health advice to be completely personalized
Forget generalized information. You need a doctor to hear your questions, consider your symptoms, examine your records, for the help to be truly and utterly helpful.
"
HealthTap has stumbled upon a methodology that the Affordable Health Care Act has failed to do. Make it possible to have access effective as well as cost effective health care. Hopefully the health care industry can learn a few lessons and integrate those with the current health system making affordable health care a reality.
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