One Doctor, a new health tech startup has launched a new service for asking a doctor online, for free.
The Lagos-based company provides two main services: a platform for finding a doctor near you and a free service for asking a health question online. The questions are answered by certified doctors.
According to the founder of One Doctor, Dr. Omiete Charles-Davies, the company is able to provide this free service by partnering with doctors in many cities around the world to answer its medical questions.
The goal is to provide insights to the many questions people have about their bodies and health. So, instead of asking search engines health-related questions, you can get a customized reply from a real doctor in a short time. The company believes this will help fight misinformation or the sometimes unnecessary fear that comes from searching your symptoms online.
Answers aren’t medical advice
While getting custom answers to health questions online may be convenient, it’s not classified as medical advice but for informational purposes only. So, users are encouraged not to use the service for diagnosis, treatment, emergencies, or as an alternative to an actual doctor visit. There is a clear disclaimer on the page for asking a doctor online.
When to use the service
You can use the service if you have a question about any health condition and want to get more information about it before your clinic visit.
How is the service free?
The way the One Doctor algorithm works, doctors who are registered on the platform are rated higher based on their number of responses to questions. This rating determines how highly a doctor will show up when people search for doctors near them for a physical appointment.
So, the more actively a doctor answers free questions, the more they are to get more patients from the platform.
For users, the first question is completely free. Subsequently, if users wish to ask follow-up questions, they can join the monthly premium subscription plan and get an unlimited number of questions.
Where is it available?
Since the service doesn’t count as medical advice, it is available globally and can be used from any location that has an internet connection. Once you login to your dashboard, you can simply type your question and you’ll get an email notification once your answer is ready.
You can also use One Doctor to find a healthcare professional near you and book an appointment at your convenience. This helps to avoid the search or long waits to book a specialist.
