HealthTap's digital healthcare network now has over 100,000 doctors in its fold.
Attracting doctors from all over the United States, HealthTap boasts of covering 141 specialties with practitioners averaging 21 years of experience. This has resulted in over 4.2 million referrals within a network that's spread out in more than 3,000 towns and cities across 50 states. And by offering a Query-to-Cure system, HealthTap has helped provide over 4.3 billion answers to health questions that has benefited 250 million people all over the world.
Traditional healthcare persists but it has declined in quality and become impersonal, much to the dismay of patients and their loved ones.
"We are fixing that dynamic by using technology to bring back the elements of healthcare that have been lost-speed, quality and compassion," said Ron Gutman, HealthTap founder and CEO.
The virtual care movement is more than just about doctors and patients interacting on video. Rather, it's about changing the way healthcare is provided and received completely. Where it would take weeks before a patient's question could be answered, virtual care movement makes it possible for queries to be addressed 24/7. Additionally, doctors also help other doctors by peer-reviewing research, rating medications and sharing news.
In a recent survey carried out by Gartner, 67 percent of patients said taking part in the virtual care movement has increased their satisfaction levels with the kind of medical care they get. The virtual care movement also offers social benefits, where if 40 to 50 percent of primary care visits were converted into virtual appoints, potential savings in the country alone could add up to $11 billion, and may be able to address the projected shortage of 90,000 doctors in the U.S. by 2025.
In 2015, some 15 million people took advantage of virtual care services. This figure is up by 50 percent from numbers logged by the American Telemedicine Association for 2013.
HealthTap is available for free on iOS and Android devices.
