Health at Hand, a free-to-download app that connects doctors with patients to conduct consultations via video, has been officially launched in the UAE.
The first telehealth service to be licensed by the DHA, Health at Hand is designed to work with the insurance industry with or without being added to an insurance network. Insurers can choose to add the service as a benefit on their policies at a flat annual fee for unlimited access.
Other features such as the ability to issue sick-leave certificates and e-referrals are expected to reduce the number of unnecessary visits to network clinics and cut down on claims costs. The company is reportedly actively engaged with a number of leading insurers in the UAE and the wider GCC.
All Health at Hand doctors are UAE-based with DHA licences and have undergone a rigorous selection process to ensure the highest standard of patient care. Furthermore, the Health at Hand platform meets both HIPAA and GDPR standards.
For those that are not offered the benefit through their insurer, Health at Hand is available as a pay-as-you-go service or an annual subscription.
The app is also available through corporate subscription which allows UAE-based companies the ability to sign up their employees, making it an easy and affordable way to implement staff well-being.
Mr Charlie Barlow, founder and CEO of Health at Hand said “With medical inflation rates in the region being some of the highest in the world, and loss-ratios frequently exceeding 100%, it became clear that an out-of-the-box solution was required. On the patient side, over 64% of people are self-medicating and 70% delaying visiting a doctor because they think the illness will go away on its own.
“Health at Hand is the ideal win-win solution that decreases costs for payers while increasing benefits and access to quality care for patients. The app quite literally puts patient’s health back in their hands – and is without doubt the future of healthcare not just in the UAE, but across the globe.”
Health at Hand is a telehealth startup targeting Middle East markets and has raised $4.1m in total funding. M