Hyderabad, 27th of July, 2024 : Over a million Indians travel abroad for medical reasons. Complex medical conditions, rare diseases, privacy and a perception that medical care in America is superior are some of the reasons Indians choose America for treatment. Apart from the cost of treatment, the cost of travel and logistics adds to the spends of people travelling to America for medical reasons. In addition, there are a significant proportion of Indian patients who would like to consult an American doctor to get clarity on their medical condition, to reinforce that the treatment they are undergoing in India is appropriate and to ensure that the treatment that is being offered in India is the best and follows the latest medical advances.
Indian healthcare has undergone a transformation and is today comparable to the best in the World. The need for an Indian to seek treatment outside India is miniscule. However, what is required in the current environment is to reinforce that the right treatment is being given to a patient in India and in rare instances advise minor modifications in the treatment protocols based on latest advances. One does not need to travel to USA for these reasons as technology now permits an Indian patient to access an expert American Doctor sitting at his/her home.
Although Telemedicine is now an established mode of connecting doctors with patients, connecting an Indian patient with an American doctor has its own set of challenges. Identifying the right doctor, getting the contact details of the doctor, setting up a teleconsultation with the doctor, paying for the teleconsultation and follow-up when required are issues being faced by Indian patients when they need to consult an American doctor. In addition, the logistic challenges the cost of a teleconsultation is high and not affordable by an average Indian.
My American Doctor is a unique company offering dedicated teleconsultation services by over 50 specialist and super-specialist doctors working across the United States of America. This company is founded by a group of doctors of Indian origin in America as a ‘service initiative’ to reach out to the needy Indian population. The company has created a tech platform to overcome the logistic challenges and has priced a tele consult at $149 and follow-up consult at half that price. (The average cost of any of the tele consult options available today are north of $1000 per consultation).Dr Raj Narla, Emergency Medicine specialist & CEO, My American Doctor; said, It has been a collective vision of over 40 American doctors of Indian origin to reach out to the needy patients in India. My American Doctor has been conceptualised after understanding the need of the Indian community, the challenges being faced by an Indian patient in difficult situations and with a clear mandate to reinforce the wonderful work being done by Indian doctors in India.It is not a commercial initiative, our vision is to create a patient friendly sustainable initiative that bridges the
gap between an Indian patient and an expert American doctor in a cost-effective manner. We would like to complete the consultation and generate a written report within 72 hours. We are right now focussed on servicing patients only in India. Later we will extend our services to the Middle East and eventually in USA. Our price point is $ 149, it’s more of a service initiative to help our fellow Indians.
Dr Rajan Garg,ICU Medicine specialist & Board member, My American Doctor; speaking on the occasion said, almost over a million patients are travelling abroad from India, every year to seek medical treatment for complex medical conditions, rare diseases, difficult diagnosis and for privacy reasons, apart from those there are approximately four times more patients who would like to travel or get an expert medical opinion from the physicians abroad if they have the resources. There is also a certain perception that treatment abroad is better, right or wrong that perception does exists. My American Doctor will provide the latest treatment plan to Indian patients in India using the technology. Indian healthcare systems and Doctors are comparable to anyone anywhere in the world, sometime patients just need the reassurance that the treatment being provided to them by their Indian healthcare system and the Indian doctor is the right treatment, sometimes the treatment plan needs a small tweak. Our goal is to provide the reassurance without dislocating the patient from the comfort of their home. A study of 270 patients indicated that approximately more than 50% of the cases there was a change of diagnosis after obtaining second opinion. A study of the Journal of Clinical Oncology indicated that the second opinion led to significant change in the management of patients, the study had a sample of 300 to 600 patients and 50% of the patients saw a change in the treatment. A study by Mayo clinic said approximately 26% to 50% patients had decrease in the diagnosis error after second opinion.
Dr Yogi Gundamraj, Addiction medicine and Internal Medicine specialist and Member, My American Doctor; said, today marks a significant milestone in healthcare delivery as we introduce a service designated to provide personalised, accessible and comprehensive care to our community. My American Doctor brings together a team of dedicated USA based Multi-speciality physicians, practicing doctors coming to provide medical opinion. This bridges the gap between patients and healthcare providers, ensuring quality care just a click away.
Logistically an Indian patient needs a smart phone / tab / computer with decent connectivity and can consult an American doctor by logging on to www.myamericandoctor.com. They can choose the American doctor online, schedule an appointment online, upload medical records online, make payments online, consult the doctor online, get medical opinion online and also do a follow-up consult online. Availability of expert doctors across 30 specialties on a single platform, ease of logistics of a teleconsultation, electronic medical records of the teleconsultations and the cost-advantage are clear differentiators and will go a long way in serving the Indian patients when they need it the most. For those who are not tech savvy and need assistance, My American Doctor LLC has an Indian office which will assist and facilitate the teleconsultation.
The services were formally launched today in Hyderabad and will be available for people living in any location in India with immediate effect. The following doctors from United States of America were present at the launch event, Dr Raj Narla – (CEO); Dr Rajan Garg – (Board member); Dr Daniel Friedmann – (Member) and Dr Yogi Gundamraj – (Member).
A Company Dedicated To Creating Global Access To Expert Medical Care
My American Doctor LLC is a company founded by American trained physicians to address the need for expert medical consultations globally. The company aims to bridge gaps in healthcare access by offering secure and accessible telemedicine services. The company is based out of 3719 Broadway Street, Suite -301, Quincy, IL 62305, USA.
It has been formed by a group of over 50 plus American Physicians mainly of Indian origin. The company has created a unique technology-based teleconsultation services that are credible, comprehensive and based on latest evidence-based medical protocols. The services can be accessed from anywhere in the world by logging on to www.myamericandoctor.com
The panel of doctors offering teleconsultation services on this platform are all American Board Certified Physicians and are from over 30 plus specialties and super-specialties. They are currently practising in some of the globally renowned institutions in USA including Mayo Clinic, Harvard Medical School, Columbia University, Emory University and Baylor College of Medicine.
Apart from delivering the highest quality of care the company aims to make world-class expert care accessible to all sections of the society. The tele-consultation fee being charged on this platform is fraction of the cost for similar services.
The key leadership of the company includes:
- Dr Rajender Narla, MD – Co-founder & CEO
- Dr Deepak Thomas, MD – Co-founder & Chief Medical Officer
- Dr Hrishikesh G, MD – COO
- Dr Suresh Reddy, MD – Chief Technology Office
About The Author
More Stories
Fairmont Jaipur Spreads Holiday Cheer With A Joyful Tree Lighting Ceremony.
Historic Dual Inauguration Of BGF Accommodations At Land Port Petrapole And Agartala.
72nd Plenary Of NEC Will Lay A New Foundation For Accelerated Growth Of NEC : Union Minister Of Doner Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia.