Consult A Doctor, an innovator of telemedicine services and platform solutions for health plans, recaps the 2011 Health 2.0 conference that took place last week in San Francisco. Vendors, investors, academics and other key stakeholders were abuzz about the possibilities that telemedicine holds for the entire healthcare industry. Wolf Shlagman, founder and CEO of Consult a Doctor, and Dr. Douglas Smith, Chief Medical Officer, Consult A Doctor and founder of Minute Clinic, were blown away by the Health 2.0 community’s response and unrelenting interest to their presentation on consumer-driven telemedicine solutions.
Vendors, Venture Capitalists and Others Buzzing About Hot Market, New Companies and Technologies
MIAMI, Fla., October 5, 2011 — As the world continues to struggle with increasingly out of control healthcare costs and inadequate access to care, the innovators at this year’s Health 2.0 were zeroing in on some of the most promising solutions to these challenges. Vendors, investors, academics and others at the Health 2.0 Conference that took place during the last week of September in San Francisco, were abuzz about the possibilities that telemedicine holds for the entire healthcare industry. Recent investments in telemedicine start-ups have sharpened the focus on more established players in this market, like Consult A Doctor, an innovator of telemedicine services and platform solutions for health plans, providers, groups and patients, that is preparing to launch the next generation of telemedicine capabilities.
Wolf Shlagman, founder and CEO of Consult a Doctor, and Dr. Douglas Smith, Chief Medical Officer, Consult A Doctor and founder of Minute Clinic, were blown away by the Health 2.0 community’s response and unrelenting interest to their presentation on consumer-driven telemedicine solutions.
“During the past two months, we have seen a flood of investment dollars coming into the telemedicine market, demonstrating that the venture capital community senses that the tipping point for this market is approaching,” said Shlagman. “Today, telemedicine is a $4 billion market worldwide and it is projected to increase to $24 billion by 2016. After six years and more than 200,000 consultations, Consult A Doctor is uniquely positioned to lead the industry with our consumer-driven, cloud-based telemedicine platform and national provider network. Our service delivery platform is the most comprehensive, most utilized and easiest to use in the market. Our platform solutions for health plans and providers will be the catalyst for the next wave of explosive growth as telemedicine is weaved into every aspect of healthcare.”
It is no secret that there is an unsustainable problem with waste in today’s healthcare system today. For instance, according to the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA), over 70% of all doctor’s visits are unnecessary and over 65% of all ER visits are non-emergencies. Additionally, employer productivity loss due to medical absenteeism is estimated at over $100 billion. These serious inefficiencies in the healthcare system could be dramatically alleviated using telemedicine technology and services.
“Access continues to be a major barrier to patients receiving the care they want and need. Though the advent of urgent care and retail clinics in recent years provided some relief, they still are overkill for many physician-patient encounters that could take place at a lower cost, less intrusive setting,” said Dr. Smith. “The solution to achieving greater access at lower costs can be found in the value proposition of telemedicine which will provide the right care, at the right time, in the right place, for the right cost.”
Attendees at the 2011 Health 2.0 Conference were very interested in Consult a Doctor’s presentation and have great expectations for the next software release version that will include enhancements such as video consults, labs and a mobile application. Consult A Doctor is also expected to launch its new suite of telemedicine platforms for practices, hospitals, health plans and other stakeholders later this month.
About Consult A Doctor
Established in 2004, Consult A Doctor is the leading innovator of cloud-based telemedicine services and solutions for health plans, providers, groups and patients. With years of direct-to-consumer telemedicine services, Consult A Doctor is transforming the economic equation of care with a PaaS (platform as a service) solution that grants patients unmatched access to quality care, offers a new revenue source for providers, and lowers costs for health plans, employers and groups. Consult A Doctor’s telemedicine service offers patient’s 24/7/365 access to the largest national network of board-certified providers, via phone, email or video. Done right, telemedicine means faster access, most appropriate level of care, more revenue for providers and lower costs for all. For more information about Consult A Doctor, please visit: www.consultadoctor.com, or email us at telecare@consultadr.com.
