Telehealth platform HiDoc launches in Singapore

Patients can get their diagnosis instantly through video conferencing.

Telehealth platform HiDoc, which is backed by Singapore Medical Group (SMG), launched in Singapore in an effort to augment the quality of follow-up healthcare and second opinion consultation amongst patients, an announcement revealed.

With nearly 15 specialists on its platform, HiDoc aims to deliver diagnosis within 24 hours or instantly through video conferencing to patients and give accredited specialists access to patient health records.

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“We believe there is a huge opportunity in improving the patient experience and enabling healthcare providers access to a seamless platform for follow-up care in Singapore,” HiDoc’s CEO and co-founder Christina Low explained in a statement. “We want to provide greater value where, for example, a diabetic patient who has regular follow-ups with his or her endocrinologist can receive better and continuous management of care by using this platform.”

According to an Accenture study in 2016, 66% of Singaporeans agreed that the benefits of accessing medical information electronically outweighed the risks, which is a 13% increase from 2014. In the same study, 63% of respondents believed technology was important in managing their health.

“Through this platform, patients will be able to upload their health records and have access to better quality healthcare services,” Low highlighted, adding that overseas patients considering treatment in Singapore will greatly benefit given that they can immediately access second opinion consultation via a multi-faceted communication process.

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In conjunction with its launch, HiDoc and DBS entered a strategic partnership to build an inclusive digital ecosystem for users which will include simplifying payment processes on HiDoc by enabling users to transact via DBS PayLah! in addition to credit and debit cards.

In the next two years, HiDoc intends to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI), integrating with labs for reports, a health wallet and additional language support. It also aims to include general practitioners to its network and expand into other Southeast Asian markets such as Indonesia and Vietnam.

Specialists and users can download the HiDoc app which is available for iOS and Android mobile devices.