GreatCall's Urgent Care app tops the medical categories on both Google Play and the App Store. The app connects patients to medical information, specialists and even prescriptions for only $3.99.
In other words, instead of going to a doctor's office and plunking down a $15 copay or paying expensive monthly health insurance premiums, patients can use the Urgent Care app to get medical information, speak to nurses and physicians and receive common prescriptions. The app connects patients to information and services at any time of the day or night.
GreatCall president and CEO David Inns says that the app fills an important need in the American healthcare system. Currently, the average wait time for doctor visits tops 20 minutes, and waits for doctor visits during flu season can top two hours.
These backups will only get worse, says Inns, as the Affordable Care Act extends coverage to 30 million more Americans. He also points out a statistic from the Association of American Medical Colleges that says the country will have 28,900 fewer primary care physicians than it needs in just two years.
"Nobody likes sitting in a waiting room, and our m-health products help consumers stay connected with high quality health information and services from home, which can save them time and money, and provides relief to an overloaded national healthcare system," said Inns.
Starting with the app's Interactive Symptom Checker, patients can enter symptoms of common ailments to find out what illness they may have. The app also provides privacy if patients are seeking information about diseases that they'd rather not discuss with their doctors.
In addition to helping patients identify their ailments, the Symptom Checker tells them when to self-treat and when to seek medical attention.
GreatCall launched the urgent care app in January. It peaked on Google Play and the App Store this week.
Edited by
Ashley Caputo
