Bringing Doctor House Calls To Nation’s Capital

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – There’s good news about better health care at less cost inWashington, D.C. The nation’s leading on-demand doctor house calls service is now available in most of D.C. and parts of Northern Virginia. Patients will now have instant access to an unhurried, highly qualified doctor, in-home or at their office, at an affordable cost.

Having doctors make house calls could transform health care. According to Truven Health Analytics, 71 percent of ER visits are avoidable and unnecessary. In its first 23,000 patient visits, Heal has created over $6.3 million in health care cost savings, diagnosed 1,100 previously unknown issues and significantly reduced unnecessary trips to the ER by 62 percent for its patients, while also reducing unnecessary prescriptions, tests and referrals.

Doctor’s Opinion

“House calls are more than convenient, they’re better medicine—for the patient and the doctor. Patients feel comfortable with unhurried doctors who can understand the patient in his or her home environment. This leads to more precise medical care and more satisfaction, especially for the doctors,” explained Dr. Renee Dua. “All of this is possible when you change the environment from a hurried doctor’s office to a patient’s home. Patients can be relaxed and be more honest while doctors can see actual medications and the home environment—enabling them to practice more personal, more effective medical care.”

As the service enters the Washington, D.C. area, it welcomes Dr. Kari Scantlebury, M.D., MPH, as its first East Coast Medical Director. Dr. Scantlebury, who is dual board certified in Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services, practices at Inova Fairfax Hospital and has served victims of the Haiti earthquake in 2010 with EMEDEX International, caring for victims in Port-au-Prince.

“What I love about Heal is it gives doctors the ability to slow down and reconnect with patients,” said Dr. Scantlebury. “More intimate relationships between patients and doctors yield better health care, more rewarding time in the field, and superior communication that’s not possible in an office or hospital environment.”

How It Works

The doctors typically arrive within two hours, on demand, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, through appointments made through the company website, by phone or via a smartphone app. Insurance coverage may vary by carrier and community. In any case, patients can benefit from affordable, cash pay visits of under $100. This is significantly less than ER visits and many doctor’s office visits.

One reason the service is able to do this is because it uses technology innovation to rehumanize the practice of medicine in a way that’s fulfilling for both doctors and patients. Health care becomes a more personal and convenient experience because there’s a more efficient doctor’s “office” in your home. That inevitably improves health care outcomes.

Learn More

For further facts, visit www.heal.com or download the Heal app on the App Store or Google Play.

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