GoGetDoc: From digital symptom check to consultation
)
The organization of medical care in the US caters to the needs of providers, insurers, employers, and governments. Unfortunately, however, those whom the healthcare system is meant to serve, the patients, are often lost amid procedures and rules. The GoGetDoc team has long recognized this and so they developed a solution that would primarily suit their over 2 million members.
At a glance:
)
GoGetDoc used a simple symptom checker to build an effective healthcare communication and engagement with patients. Illustration by Aga Więckowska.
Common, challenging problems
As one of their first steps, GoGetDoc identified the key problems that many patients have when accessing healthcare. They were not surprised to find that people too often Google their symptoms instead of seeking professional help. One of the reasons for this is complicated procedures to access healthcare—when feeling sick the last thing people want to think about is when and how to schedule a visit. Cost is also a significant barrier to care. People are reluctant to pay to potentially learn that their symptoms could be treated with at-home methods.
These barriers and challenges do not foster good patient care or public health. Unaddressed symptoms and diseases lead to worse patient outcomes and drive cost and resource use that otherwise could have been prevented.
No matter the doctor's recommendations and promotion of preventive medicine, people struggle to navigate complex and expensive healthcare systems.
Using phones for healthcare
GoGetDoc wanted reliable and easy access to vetted medical knowledge and recommendations. The most natural environment that offered this was the digital world. The majority of patients use it—according to Statista, over 87% of individuals had access to the internet in 2019. With smartphones in hand, people naturally search for medical information, and GoGetDoc intended to change their behavior from Googling to asking for case-specific, evidence-based recommendations. GoGetDoc wanted to provide users a platform to quickly check symptoms and access their medical services, including telemedicine.
To achieve their goal, they teamed up with Infermedica, a provider of digital tools for preliminary triage.
)
From symptoms to medical services
As a result of their collaboration with Infermedica, GoGetDoc introduced a convenient chatbot called SymptomBot, a free-to-use service that analyzes users’ symptoms and provides a triage level. This way, the company removes the initial barriers patients often experience in their healthcare journeys.
“With Infermedica, we ask the right questions and narrow down possibilities based on real-time patient feedback, giving users a more precise idea of what they may be experiencing,” explains Mohammad Gaber, CEO of GoGetDoc. “This is the first step in a more accurate, affordable, and user-centered healthcare journey.”
)
Symptom check presents results and links to services provided by GoGetDoc. Image by Aga Więckowska.
SymptomBot is available anywhere, anytime. It reduces the biggest obstacles for patients—cost and waiting time—and they can use it to learn if they should visit a doctor or not in just a few minutes.
Apart from providing an instant symptom assessment, GoGetDoc uses SymptomBot to lead patients to effective consultations and treatments within their network. SymptomBot users can easily connect with over 120 health services. Many of them are available in as little as two minutes.
All digital services are secured with encryption and code verification. SymptomBot also adheres to HIPAA regulations ensured by Infermedica, and the GoGetDoc platform features military-grade security.
)
Examples of data protection measures included in SymptomBot. Image by Aga Więckowska.
A modern approach to healthcare, sales, and marketing
GoGetDoc presents a modern approach to accessing and communicating about medical services. They go where the patients are and use day-to-day language to ask about users’ medical needs. A healthcare provider is even present on social media platforms, including TikTok, where they can message their patients directly.
)
Contribution request visible before the checkup results. Image by Aga Więckowska.
Most users donate over $5.
GoGetDoc is also uniquely monetized. They understand the value of their SymptomBot and so offer it for free. At the same time, they ask users to decide whether they want to contribute before presenting the results screen.
Find out for yourself how SymptomBot (offered by GoGetDoc) works!
Learn more about the Infermedica technologies used in this project.
BL/EN/2022/03/02/1
)
)
)
)