WHEN his father lost his battle against cancer, Jerry Hang was devastated. His father was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer in 2013.
With little knowledge on the disease, the only avenue they had was to ask around for the right doctor and treatment. In a span of one month, they had to jump from one hospital to another, as his father was transferred from three different hospitals in Penang and Kuala Lumpur. Not to mention the time spent in long queues at the hospitals, doctor’s consultations, and getting the medications.
Hang’s father eventually succumbed to the disease.
Reminiscing the sad episode, Hang was determined to change the situation and to help other patients reach out to medical professionals easier and smarter. The task was made easier as Hang has been in the medical industry for the past 10 years, supplying products to doctors and medical specialists.
“With my experience, connections and resources, I set up GetDoc Malaysia in 2014 with colleague Chris Ching. “We have the same vision — delivering a better healthcare experience and impact more lives.”
A year later, the company launched its mobile app, GetDoc, in Malaysia and Singapore simultaneously.
HOW IT WORKS
GetDoc allows users to search for the nearest clinics and hospitals, see doctors profile and background including where they studied and graduated. It also lists the clinics where they work, and whether they are available 24 hours.
“Let’s say a person who is in Penang has an emergency and does not know which clinic to go to as it is past midnight.
“With this app, the user will know clinic(s) that are still open, types of services they provide, even the gender of doctors in the clinic,” explains Hang.
GetDoc also allows users to set up appointments, either for themselves, the spouse or children through its mobile app and web site. It can also navigate users to the location.
Doctors will receive a notification on the spot after an appointment is made. “Depending on whether there are emergency cases which the doctors have to attend to, they can either accept, reject or reschedule the appointment.
“Our ultimate goal is to reduce waiting time and queuing in clinics. In healthcare, time is of the essence. Mere minutes can be the difference between life and death for someone who’s suffering from a chronic disease,” he says.
To date, GetDoc has more than 2,000 medical professionals on board, with over 60,000 mobile users benefitting from the app. Some of the hospitals which have registered include Columbia Asia Hospital, Sunway Medical Centre, Beacon Hospital and Damai Service Hospital.
GetDoc covers 68 different specialities, from acupuncture, aesthetics, allergies, audiologist, dentist, to chiropractor.
Hang says there is also an option of insurance, which should interest corporate employees.
“Users need not call the HR department or look through the insurance website because they can search for the panel clinics of their respective insurance company within the app.”
CASHLESS SOLUTION
GetDoc is also equipped with GetDocPay, a cashless payment service that uses your mobile device to pay medical bills at clinics. Users can choose to pay via credit/debit card from all major banks listed in the app.
“As 80 per cent of clinics do not have the credit card terminal, patients often have to pay cash. “But what happens if you are short on cash or forgot your wallet? With GetDocPay, these problems can be solved. “There’s also online banking facilities for those without a credit or debit card,” says Hang.
Users only need to request for the respective clinic’s code and key in the medical charges in the app, choose their payment method and voila, the transaction is complete. Once the payment is successful, both the user and doctor will be notified and an e-receipt is sent through their email.
Hang says this feature is helpful for clinics without the credit card terminal and even for travellers who do not carry lots of cash as they can easily link their credit card within the app. With GetDocPay, Hang adds that users can pay for their loved ones without being physically present at the clinic.
SWEET TREAT
GetDoc has partnered with healthcare companies, telco providers, and many more in an effort to reward its users. “After a transaction with GetDocPay, patients can snap a picture of their medical receipts and upload it to Manis, a universal loyalty lifestyle app which allows users to earn points for redemption later.
“Not encouraging people to fall sick, but this is just some incentive that we’re giving from their sickness,” he says.
Users can redeem products or appliances, mobile top up and shopping vouchers, among others.
FUTURE PLANS
Meanwhile, GetDocPay will be incorporated for private hospitals by next year. “We are also working with Cyberview Sdn Bhd, a government-linked company, to fit our solution into the Cyberjaya’s smart city initiatives. “There are currently four clinics in Cyberjaya accepting GetDocPay,” says Hang.
According to Hang, the company’s goal is to grow big together with its healthcare providers. “We aim to scale beyond Malaysia’s 30 million strong market 600 million people in Southeast Asia and to promote Malaysia as one of the Core Medical Hubs in the region by 2018.”