Text With Primary Care Doctors: No Need To Trek To The Office For Basic Care
98point6 has developed an app that lets patients connect via chat to a licensed primary care doctor. It is currently live in 10 states, with plans to reach all 50 by the end of the year. “Our mission is to make primary care more accessible and more affordable, inspiring early and frequent use,” said co-founder Robbie Cape.
Seattle Times:
The Doctor Will Text You Now: 98point6 Taking Virtual Primary Care Nationwide
Getting a prescription for antibiotics or cold medicine could be just a few text messages away, if Seattle startup 98point6 has anything to say about it. The company announced Tuesday it is expanding its virtual primary care service to adults nationwide this year, after testing in Washington state for the past year. ... 98point6, co-founded in 2015 by entrepreneur Robbie Cape, is trying to change how the U.S. approaches basic health care by making it easier for people to talk to a doctor without visiting an office — whether the patient has insurance or not. (Lerman, 5/1)
In other news —
Modern Healthcare:
AI-Based Voice-Software Company Nets $20 Million To Ease Physician Note-Taking
Former executives of Google and Salesforce just received $20 million to fund AI-based software that helps physicians with note-taking. The voice-enabled assistant connects to electronic health records, saving doctors time on administrative tasks like writing notes in patients' charts. The company, called Suki, is led by Punit Soni, formerly of Google, and Karthik Rajan, formerly of Salesforce. Suki aims to relieve doctors of one of the main burdens they currently bear: documentation in EHRs. (Arndt, 5/1)