Push Doctor is a website and app, enabling users to talk to a doctor face-to-face via video chat at a time that suits them.
The service enables patients to receive live medical advice and diagnosis at home or elsewhere, and currently boast several hundred NHS registered GPs. The service provides users with several hundred thousand consultations per year.
Founded in 2013 by technology entrepreneurs Matt Elcock and Eran Ozagir, the idea was born when Eran fell sick and couldn’t get an appointment with his GP, current CEO Wais Shaifta tells me.
“He thought it would be cool if he could phone a doctor, or, better still, video chat one.
It was a very simply concept at the beginning, based around the fact that getting a GP appointment is challenging because of the time required and the awkwardness of the process.”
“Traditionally Push Doctor has worked to meet the needs of users who are ill and who want a fast diagnosis and path to treatment” says Wais.
“But we’re now looking to make the model somewhat different – we’re keen to look at how we can help the NHS moving forward, in particular how we can help them provide predictive prevention to patients”.
Push Doctor’s NHS product is now live in partnership with a number of practices. Patients of these practices can access digital appointments through Push Doctor, and their doctors can access and update patient records in real time through the service.
The aim is for this to have far reaching effects on the future of healthcare, as Wais explains: “People aren’t in control of their healthcare, because they’re not in control of their data. Push Doctor means that whether that data comes from a wearable, a test, or examination by a doctor, it’s stored in one place and easily accessible by the patient.”
With that in mind, Push Doctor’s evolution is now focusing on proactive guidance, helping patients make informed decisions regarding their health, based on their medical data.
“Our key differentiator is our ecosystem” Wais tells us.
“Our system includes triage, recruitment, HR, and more – there’s a huge tech gap within the NHS that we’re working to fulfill.”
Push Doctor’s other key USP is its holistic approach to managing a patient’s health journey.
When a patient is told by their doctor to lose weight, Push Doctor aims to fill the gap between this advice and the actual undertaking of joining a gym and changing diet.
“It’s about having a one stop shop” Wais explains “so when that patient goes to the gym, they’re armed, they know they need to lose 10% of their weight this year, that they need to work on cardio not muscle, and that they need to be on such and such a diet”.
2016’s Series A drove recruitment, building the team, growing consultations and delivering greater brand awareness. Series B has just concluded, and “was heavily focused on making Push Doctor the number one in delivering digital consultations and the number one in terms of brand recognition”.
That aim has now been achieved, and Push Doctor has so far raised more than 36 million dollars. “We’ve cemented a very strong tech team” Wais adds “and the aim this year is to move from being a marketing-led business to a technology-based, product-led business”.
“EIS qualification was very, very important in the early stages of the business” Wais tells me “It was one of the key components helped us to grow, to scale, and to get the brand out there and visible”.
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