Congratulations to JLF’s Katherine Restrepo, whose analysis in a Forbes column is featured on the website of RelyMD, a telemedicine App that was developed in North Carolina. Here’s why: Katherine discussed RelyMD’s cutting edge work in telemedicine:
Telemedicine’s ability to expedite the delivery of care has proven to fill in some of the health industry’s pervasive gaps, such as the ongoing rural provider shortage. The Health Resources and Services Association (HRSA) reports that 20 percent of Americans reside in rural areas, and just 11 percent of the nation’s physicians practice rural medicine. North Carolina alone has documented 145 primary care shortage areas across the state.
That’s where telemedicine apps like RelyMD come in to cover this void. Founded in 2015 by an independent emergency physician group in North Carolina, RelyMD’s board-certified physicians offer 24/7 virtual doctor appointments to their users in exchange for a $50 per-visit fee. Patients can seek medical consultation or treatment in the comfort of their own homes via a computer, smartphone, or tablet in a matter of minutes. Not only is RelyMD convenient for a busy parent with a sick child who cannot wait an average 19 days to be seen in-person by a family physician, but the cost is also a significant discount compared to an urgent care visit or a minimum $1,000 trip to the ER. Other apps that offer similar services at varying price points are Teladoc, LiveHealth Online, DoctorOnDemand, HealthTap, and more.
