For many people their health or age creates situations where they are forced to go to the emergency room to be able to quickly see a doctor for a medical concern. This can be both costly and inconvenient. DocChat, a recently launched telemedicine platform, hopes to change that by offering 24 hours a day, 7 day a week access to emergency doctors, who can write prescriptions if required.

New York, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 09/03/2015 --Having access to a doctor can sometimes be a challenge for a variety of reasons. This has led to an increasing amount of unnecessary emergency room visits which affects hospitals' abilities to provide quality service to those with serious needs, increases insurance premiums, and taxes the country's health bill. Fortunately, a solution to alleviate this problem has recently presented itself, the new telemedicine platform and app, DocChat. DocChat provides a way for a patient to quickly consult with an emergency-qualified doctor. Through knowledge of the patient's medical history and deductive questions, the doctor is able to diagnose their health issue and write a prescription.

"The future of medicine isn't just creating access to physicians," commented Dr. Steve Okhravi, founder and CEO of DocChat. "It's about putting patients in charge of their own health. "There's so much waste in healthcare. Telemedicine will minimize those inefficiencies." By merely having convenient access to a physician, providers can achieve better health outcomes for patients. Dr. Okhravi elaborates, "We are creating a convenient gateway to the healthcare world. We say, 'What can I do to help?' and we triage and connect the patient to the appropriate resources and continue to check on the patient's progress. The result is that the patient's entire loop of care is closed. But it all starts with being able to talk to a doctor."

According to DocChat, the telemedicine app delivers very real benefits to users. First, the company guarantees a doctor will see a patient in 15 minutes, something that is nearly unheard of should a patient visit an emergency room or doctor's office in most areas. Patients can consult their doctors at any time after their visit, giving them an unprecedented level of access to their medical professional and a throwback to the type of service delivered in generations past. Part of DocChat's mission is to provide healthcare the "old fashioned" way, where patients are treated as customers, and the relationship between provider and patient is sacred. Finally "It's all about relationships", Dr. Okhravi says. "The better relationship you have with your doctor, the more compliant you are, and you will minimize complications from your illness." Dr. Okhravi also points out that while DocChat doesn't specifically treat emergencies and recommends  patients experiencing one to call 911, it has "treated many ailments that otherwise would have resulted in trips to the ER, without a doubt."

Finally, all of the doctors available through DocChat are completely emergency-experienced, which leads to a more effective diagnosis and triage. This greatly cuts into the need to visit and emergency room, sometimes dramatically. During a recent pilot study of DocChat in rural nursing homes, the telemedicine app reduced the E.R. transfer rate for geriatric patients by a full 95%. DocChat was able to diagnose and treat hyperkalemia, bilateral pneumonia, sepsis, falls, and head injuries. Furthermore, the patients' families were 100% satisfied with each consultation and the doctors' recommendations.

Patients themselves have also endorsed DocChat across the board. The early response to this innovative service has been very enthusiastic. Janice Sarosky., from Pennsylvania, recently said, "Having access to DocChat has been amazing for my husband and me. We are small business owners in our 40's. Being able to have a visit with our doctor on the app has saved us from having to go to an urgent care or schedule an appointment with our regular doctor just to renew our prescriptions. We use the subscription plan and it's really worth every penny. Five stars and fully recommended.

DocChat costs $50 per visit and is currently in network with Aetna.

DocChat is available from the iTunes, Google Play and Amazon stores.

For more information on DocChat be sure to visit http://app.docchat.io or email sam@docchat.io

About DocChat
DocChat is an online and mobile telemedicine platform that allows patients to consult with board certified doctors through video chat. Doctors can evaluate, diagnose, and prescribe medications to patients if necessary.

Contact:
Samantha Miller
Director of Operations
sam@docchat.io
610-570-1606

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