Office Hours on a Holiday? Doctor On Demand

This was a sponsored consultation on behalf of Doctor On Demand; all opinions are my own.

It’s been 4 years since I’ve established a general practitioner/family doctor.  Yes, I do go to the doctor, but we have moved 3 times in those four years, and I just haven’t made the time to establish a general practitioner.  My insurance company recently began offering web and phone consultations, at a reduced copay, and I was super excited [as a busy mom] to be able to use this service; unfortunately, only those insured with an established primary care physician…who was on the virtual list were able to take advantage of this service.  Back to urgent care I would go for my biannual sinus infections (yay).

 

Enter Doctor On Demand.  Doctor On Demand is an app that is revolutionizing non-emergency health care!  I am so excited to share this with you because it is a game-changer for me!  For less than the cost of my Urgent Care copay ($40), I was able to have a 15 minute doctor consult and take care of a problem that’s been plaguing me since pregnancy.

I believe that the true test for any customer-oriented service is how businesses perform on holidays.  Last fourth of July, I was spending my time in the emergency room of a local hospital, enduring the worst hospital experience I’ve ever had.  I had developed an infection from my D&E, and was sent to the ER by my OB/Gyn’s doctor on-call because of the holiday.  I won’t go into the entire experience, but I spent over eight hours in the ER, with careless staff alternating between complaining about working the holiday and talking about how much their holiday pay was going to be.  Because of this experience, I changed hospital systems completely (thankfully, I lived in an area with two major hospitals), and developed an extreme distaste for the medical community.  Keeping last year’s holiday experience in mind, I decided to test the Doctor on Demand app on the July 4th holiday, just to see how the wait time and service would be.

 

I’ve written about my irritating sensitive scalp a few times, sharing with you my favorite natural shampoo and how I use natural hair styling products to help keep my itches at-bay; unfortunately, these products have only helped manage my symptoms, instead of clearing up the issue.  I’d been reluctant to do anything about my scalp because of breastfeeding my son (I avoid medicines while nursing, including using medicated shampoos), and not having an established general practicioner meant that I’d just deal with my irritable scalp.  The Doctor On Demand app proved to be a game changer for me!

As this is an app, you must have a smartphone or tablet to download the free app, using either iTunes or Google Play, to get started.  Once you’ve registered your information, you’re ready to be seen by a doctor; from the comfort of your home, away on vacation, wherever you have a signal!  When I called (on a busy holiday), my wait time was right around two minutes (this wait time was due to connecting & the doctor reviewing my symptoms and background information).  Before you place your call, you’ll be asked for your payment information; there’s also an area to plug in any promotional codes you may have, like this one, good for $10 off of your first call: Wren14

After entering promotional and payment information, you’ll be asked to enter a detailed description your symptoms, anything you’ve done to alleviate the symptoms (and if it worked), and list any current medications you’re taking and/ or allergies you might have.  Once you submit the information, you click to proceed with the call, and are placed in a queue where a Doctor On Demand reviews your case and initiates your video consultation.

The doctor I was given was affable and pleasant, not seeming to be bothered by the fact that he was working a busy holiday.  He had me review my history (I began having scalp issues while pregnant with my son), had me hold my camera phone up so that he could view the affected areas on my scalp (how cool is that?), and talked about what my issue could be.  My doctor had a wonderful ‘bedside manner’, even saying that he had suffered from the same scalp issue previously, so he knew how irritating and frustrating it could be, and went on to suggest some over-the-counter items I could use (in addition to the prescription shampoo he was prescribing) to maintain a healthy scalp.  After suffering from my irritating (and often embarrassing) scalp issue for two years, I had a diagnosis and a prescription, with follow-up instructions — all in a fifteen-minute video call!  (in case you’re wondering, I was diagnosed with, and am being treated for, Seborrheic dermatitis — much like cradle cap in infants).

My overall experience with Doctor On Demand was wonderful, with my particular doctor asking me if I had any questions throughout the phone call.  My only complaint is that I had an unbelievably difficult time hearing the phone conversation with the app.  Even with my phone volume at it’s highest setting, I was straining to hear the doctor; this issue is likely because the app is streaming.  I know that I need to establish a primary care physician, but I love the fact that I’m able to have a doctor’s consult, for my non-emergency needs (seasonal sinus infections, etc.), from the comfort of my home and for less than the cost of my Urgent Care copay.  Will I be using the Doctor On Demand app again?  Absolutely!

To help you get started with Doctor On Demand, they’ve provided me with an exclusive promotional code for my readers; Wren14 will give you $10 off of your first call when you download the app and register: click for iTunes or Google Play.

Interested in learning more?  You can visit DoctorOnDemand.com, and connect with them via Facebook and Twitter.

We would like to celebrate the fact that you can now talk to a board certified doctor (on demand!) from the comfort of your own home, thanks to the Doctor On Demand app…. with a great giveaway.

The $200 Target Gift Card Giveaway will end on July 22nd.
It is open to US residents, 18+ only.
Please use the Giveaway Tools Form below to enter! Good Luck!

Disclosures: The participating bloggers are not responsible for prize fulfillment. Giveaway is open to US residents, age 18+ only. The giveaway will close at 11:59PM EST on 7/22/14. One winner will be selected randomly from all eligible entries. If you have any questions about this giveaway or would like to inquire about group events like this, please contact the Blogging Mamas Network at bloggingmamas.blog@gmail.com.