INTERNET MEDICAL APPOINTMENT SERVICE DOCTORSDIRECT.COM EXPANDS EAST COAST PRESENCE
New York and Boston Join Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Philadelphia in Offering a Better Way for Doctors and Patients to Manage Appointments
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (December 5, 2006) – DoctorsDirect.com – an online service that enables physicians to offer a fast, convenient and secure way for consumers to schedule medical appointments – today announced it has completed testing in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Philadelphia and is recruiting physicians in New York and Boston.
Developed by Internet savvy physicians and a team of individuals with extensive experience conceiving and launching successful Internet-based businesses, DoctorsDirect.com simplifies the process of scheduling medical appointments for doctors and the patients they serve. Backers of the unique service say they intend to establish DoctorsDirect.com as the platform of choice for consumers who want a simple, convenient way to find a local doctor, learn more about the doctor’s background and schedule an appointment. DoctorsDirect.com appeals to physicians who want to enhance their presence on the Web to build their practice or increase patient satisfaction and loyalty by streamlining the appointment process.
DoctorsDirect.com is the first independent Internet site to offer both accurate, relevant information about doctors and the ability to initiate a transaction between consumers and physicians.
“DoctorsDirect.com eliminates the wasted time and energy spent negotiating an appointment time over the telephone,” said CEO Tommy McGloin, former head of MapQuest and Moviefone, and a top executive at AOL CityGuide. “Anyone with access to the Internet can go online to DoctorsDirect.com day or night, seven days a week, and make and confirm a timely appointment in a matter of seconds. That means that doctor’s office staff can spend more time on the care of patients and less time answering phones or responding to voicemail messages.”
A recent Wall Street Journal/Harris Interactive Health Care Poll reported that 75 percent of Americans would like to schedule or be reminded of appointments online. “People want the same fast, convenient online service that is available when they want to make a hotel reservation or see a movie,” McGloin said. “DoctorsDirect.com gives doctors the opportunity to provide that same level of convenience and service to their patients.”
Consumers are desperate for online tools that help them navigate an increasingly complex health care system, said Todd Dagres, founder and general partner of Boston-based Spark Capital, an investor in DoctorsDirect.com. “Helping people find the right doctor and make an appointment improves their chances of getting the care they want and need,” Dagres said. “The Internet is jam-packed with sites that dispense medical information. We think there is a tremendous opportunity to provide a way for consumers to connect with physicians in their community, removing some of the friction that is inherent in the system today, which is good for everyone.” When they visit DoctorsDirect.com, consumers can search for a physician by geography or area of medical practice. Clicking on a specific doctor’s name brings up a profile of that doctor and indicates whether the physician accepts appointments through DoctorsDirect.com. If so, the screen shows the next five available appointments and a calendar of other future appointment options. If not, the consumer is encouraged to ask their doctor to participate in DoctorsDirect.com, which currently is offered to physicians at no charge.
Once a consumer makes an appointment, DoctorsDirect.com confirms it with the physician and provides the patient with automatic email reminders. Patients also can download medical history and other forms and fill them out before the appointment from the comfort of their homes.
“You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand the value of a service like this to both the physician community and the patients we serve,” said Dr. Bernard Katz, whose Los Angeles-area physician group is using DoctorsDirect.com to offer, schedule and coordinate payment for flu shot appointments over the Internet. Consumers who sign onto DoctorsDirect.com and click on “Los Angeles” find a link to guaranteed flu shot appointments through Santa Monica Bay Physicians, Inc.
“All patients have to do is roll up their sleeve,” said Katz, one of the physicians who participated in the Los Angeles market test of DoctorsDirect.com. “The service sells itself. Once doctors hear about it, we believe it’s really going to take off.”
About DoctorsDirect.com
DoctorsDirect.com (www.doctorsdirect.com) provides consumers and the physicians who provide their medical care with a convenient, fast and secure way to offer and book medical appointments online. DoctorsDirect.com is HIPAA compliant and provides the highest standards in privacy and security. Based in Santa Monica, Calif., the privately held company has secured Series A investment from Spark Capital. The company recently completed market testing in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Philadelphia, and is expanding into Boston and New York.