American Well
Private | |
Industry | Healthcare |
Founded | 2006 |
Founder | Drs. Ido and Roy Schoenberg |
Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts |
Area served | United States |
Services | Mobile and Web Doctor Visits |
Website | americanwell.com |
American Well is a privately held telehealth company based in Boston, Massachusetts that connects people instantly with doctors over secure video.[1] The company provides immediate urgent care web visits for patients in 46 states.[2] The service operates on computers,[3] and in 2013 American Well released mobile applications for both Android and iOS operating systems.[4] The apps enables a mobile-optimized version of the same video visits.[5]
History
American Well was founded by brothers Drs. Ido and Roy Schoenberg in 2006.[6]
Initially, American Well served health insurance companies as their primary customers.[6] In 2008, the company announced its first major health plan customer: Hawaii Medical Service Association, Hawaii's Blue Cross Blue Shield provider.[7] Since then, the company has added 23 additional Blue Cross Blue Shield plans including Wellpoint[8] and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota.[9]
In 2013, the company announced that they would market their service directly to consumers.[4] After the company launched to the general public, the service has surged in usage and popularity.[10]
Raising a total of $81 million in 2014, American Well made it onto PitchBook's list of the top 10 HealthTech companies that raised the most capital that year. [11]
Mobile and Web Doctor Visits
With 24-hour access to licensed and credentialed physicians, patients can use the service even when their primary care physician is not available.[12] The cost of a visit is typically $49,[4] but a patient's insurance may cover part or all the fee.[13] During the visit, the doctor can diagnose, treat, and depending on the state the patient is in, even prescribe medication.[14] After the visit, the patient receives a secure message with the physician's notes and instructions for follow up care. If the doctor prescribed medication, the prescription would be sent electronically to a pharmacy of the patient's choice.[15]
The Doctors on American Well
American Well is staffed by physicians in the Online Care Group, a national physician-owned primary care group. Many of the physicians in the group have an average of 10–15 years of clinical experience.[10] They must be licensed and credentialed in multiple states in order to practice effectively online.
References
- ↑ Cain Miller, Claire (19 November 2008). "The Doctor Will See You Now -- Online". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
- ↑ Dolan, Brian. "Direct to consumer mobile video visits with physicians now available in 44 states". MobiHealthNews. MobiHealthNews. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
- ↑ Lite, Jordan (6 January 2009). "The new house call: Your doctor's at the door, er, on your Web cam". Scientific American. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
- 1 2 3 Armstrong Moore, Elizabeth. "For $49, a doctor will see you now -- online". CNet. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
- ↑ Fried, Ina. "Need to Talk to a Doctor, Pronto? Now There's an App for That, Too.". All Things D. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
- 1 2 Ofek, Ellie; Ron Laufer (March 2010). "American Well: The Doctor Will E-See You Now". Harvard Business School Case. 510. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
- ↑ Goldstein, Jacob (19 June 2008). "The Doctor Will See You on the Webcam Now". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
- ↑ Terry, Ken. "WellPoint To Launch National Telehealth Program". Information Week. Information Week. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
- ↑ Lerner, Maura. "Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota To Launch 'Virtual Clinic'". iHealthBeat. Archived from the original on 18 April 2014. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
- 1 2 Diana, Alison. "Telehealth Gains Momentum In Obamacare Era". Information Week. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
- ↑ PitchBook (January 2015). "The top 10 healthtech companies that raised the most capital in 2014". Hot Topics. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
- ↑ Slabodkin, Greg. "American Well launches mobile-based telehealth service". Fierce Mobile Healthcare. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
- ↑ Brink, Susan (9 October 2013). "Telehealth: The Ultimate in Convenience Care". US News & World Report. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
- ↑ Galewitz, Phil (10 May 2012). "Virtual doctors visits catch on with insurers, employers". USA Today. Retrieved 13 April 2014.
- ↑ Kowalczyk, Liz (6 December 2013). "Want to see doctor at your home? There's an app for that". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 12 April 2014.