Being asked to give medical information is a lot like being asked for the time. We might have just checked our watch, but two seconds later – and we have no clue what time it is! We have to check again and again and again.
The frustration is even worse with medical forms, because we have to fill out a lot of information. We can’t remember what prescriptions we’ve taken when, the precise times of events in our medical history, etc. And each type of doctor has different forms that bring us right back to ground zero.
Ending GroundHog Day at the Doctor’s Office
It’s insane to spend so much time providing information that technology should allow us to have on hand readily. Bringing health care professionals up to speed should be as simple as saying “Hello, Doctor.” Now it is. Hello Doctor is a free application now available on iPhone and iPad that organizes medical paperwork in one place. It makes keeping track of information easier in a number of brilliant ways.
Take a picture of a record using the app, and it’s on file. Bring all of your paper and digital records together in one place, creating a comprehensive view of your medical history. Instead of rummaging around through an immense binder, search your history with a couple taps of the finger. Keep different types of paperwork separated but still easily within reach. Make notes directly onto papers so that you’re prepared for the next visit and don’t forget the questions you want to ask.
Starting to get an idea of how great this is? If these features all sound like no-brainer stuff, that’s because they should be. Hello Doctor delivers. It’s a great tool for managing medical information and for the speedy exchange of data. Any cynic that might grumble about security should first ask himself if he does all of his banking online. Better security is the solution for data vulnerability, not shying away from bringing medical records into the mobile age (not to mention digital!).
Real-time Access to Health Records
Anyone who’s had to care for a loved one knows that it’s extraordinarily challenging and stressful to keep paperwork straight and give answers quickly while going back and forth between different care providers and facilities. In extreme cases, it’s a matter of life and death being able to share information. Co-founder and CEO Maayan Cohen experienced this first hand while seeing a boyfriend through a two-year fight with cancer, first discovered when a brain tumor appeared. Once he was back to good health, Maayan devoted herself to building Hello Doctor.
Hello Doctor Co-founders Ziv Meltzer, Maayan Cohen, and Eran Keisar
Last fall Hello Doctor took home took home a DEMO God award. The easy navigation of the app and its ability to put individuals back in control of their medical history also landed the app a spot on ABC News. Startup founders take note: early investor John Malloy of BlueRun Ventures said he’s always on the lookout for inefficiencies and markets ready to be disrupted by mobile.
It would be a tall order to outdo Hello Doctor when it comes to streamlining and updating medical paperwork. The good news for innovators is that the healthcare industry has a lot of messes, fractured marketplaces, and inefficiencies in need of solutions. To work, or Hello Doctor might get there first too.
