Medical app slashes costs by 2/3
At present, the app is available in English, Afrikaans and Portuguese.
Denver Kisting – Razor-sharp technology is revolutionising how quality healthcare can be both accessible and affordable.
Founder of this telemedicine company, GP and public health expert, Dr Armid Azadeh, says companies using the service and application have managed to slash their costs by two-thirds.
This relates not only to direct medical expenditure, but also costs associated with absenteeism and, on the other hand, being present at work.
While Macquarie Medical Care started off as a clinic for workers stationed on a remote island in Indonesia, it evolved to become what it is today, namely, a telemedicine service supported by their proprietary online app. Dr Azadeh and a friend had developed the initial ideas while he was stationed in Indonesia, and was about to embark on specialist studies in public health in the USA.
In an interview with Market Watch, Dr Azadeh says, “The purpose was to bring health in reach by improving access to medical services in areas where it was limited.”
Upon his return to his homeland, Namibia, Dr Azadeh decided to pursue the venture more seriously as the need became apparent. He visited friends at a lodge and wanted to know from them what would happen when guests fell ill. “The managers definitely felt quite isolated and had nowhere to turn to. So, we started an informal arrangement by providing them with telephonic medical advice.”
'Vast needs'
“What I hadn’t anticipated, and therein lay the biggest benefit, were the vast healthcare needs that the staff and their dependants had, and an inadvertent boost in the lodges’ efficiency, when medical care could be provided onsite. Before then, staff needed to be transported to the nearest clinic, ranging from 30 to 120 km away, mostly on gravel roads.”
This placed the resources of the lodge under severe strain. “It was a big cost, especially with staff being away from the lodge. It always impacted on their operations as they would typically end up at a clinic with no doctor and/or medication, taking a couple days to return.”
Dr Azadeh emphasises that they are not an emergency centre. “We provide primary health care.”
He says the service, which is supported by their app, has brought down their clients’ costs by two-thirds. “We visit the sites once or twice a year to meet the staff in person and to conduct occupational health checks. We also provide medical kits onsite with treatment for allergies, diarrhoea, respiratory infections and headaches.”
Support
The Macquarie app has been designed to support the telemedicine consultations as patients are able to electronically record their medical histories, so that doctors are better equipped to effectively treat them. More recent app developments allow further patient engagement through Whatsapp-like chat with their doctor, and monitoring of their blood sugar, blood pressure, stress levels, weight and diet particulars. “This will allow the healthcare provider to look at your risk profile and flag any concerns 24/7. Chronic conditions that need surveillance can be monitored consistently and relevant diseases that need screening can be pre-empted. It was created from a patient’s perspective so as to be very intuitive.”
At present, the app is available in English, Afrikaans and Portuguese.
With an eye on medical tourism, “Angolan patients who often have to endure being sent from pillar to post when seeking care in Namibia, have a streamlined service where their medical needs are determined in advance and arranged before their arrival”, Azadeh says.
Upon enquiry, Simonetta Musso, owner of Journeys Namibia and one of their clients, said, “It has been a very positive experience. They are very professional. Having accessible doctors’ advice 24/7 has been very valuable, not only for our guests but also our staff members.”
According to her, they have already picked up a decrease in absenteeism of their staff members. “It definitely improves their efficiency.”
Founder of this telemedicine company, GP and public health expert, Dr Armid Azadeh, says companies using the service and application have managed to slash their costs by two-thirds.
This relates not only to direct medical expenditure, but also costs associated with absenteeism and, on the other hand, being present at work.
While Macquarie Medical Care started off as a clinic for workers stationed on a remote island in Indonesia, it evolved to become what it is today, namely, a telemedicine service supported by their proprietary online app. Dr Azadeh and a friend had developed the initial ideas while he was stationed in Indonesia, and was about to embark on specialist studies in public health in the USA.
In an interview with Market Watch, Dr Azadeh says, “The purpose was to bring health in reach by improving access to medical services in areas where it was limited.”
Upon his return to his homeland, Namibia, Dr Azadeh decided to pursue the venture more seriously as the need became apparent. He visited friends at a lodge and wanted to know from them what would happen when guests fell ill. “The managers definitely felt quite isolated and had nowhere to turn to. So, we started an informal arrangement by providing them with telephonic medical advice.”
'Vast needs'
“What I hadn’t anticipated, and therein lay the biggest benefit, were the vast healthcare needs that the staff and their dependants had, and an inadvertent boost in the lodges’ efficiency, when medical care could be provided onsite. Before then, staff needed to be transported to the nearest clinic, ranging from 30 to 120 km away, mostly on gravel roads.”
This placed the resources of the lodge under severe strain. “It was a big cost, especially with staff being away from the lodge. It always impacted on their operations as they would typically end up at a clinic with no doctor and/or medication, taking a couple days to return.”
Dr Azadeh emphasises that they are not an emergency centre. “We provide primary health care.”
He says the service, which is supported by their app, has brought down their clients’ costs by two-thirds. “We visit the sites once or twice a year to meet the staff in person and to conduct occupational health checks. We also provide medical kits onsite with treatment for allergies, diarrhoea, respiratory infections and headaches.”
Support
The Macquarie app has been designed to support the telemedicine consultations as patients are able to electronically record their medical histories, so that doctors are better equipped to effectively treat them. More recent app developments allow further patient engagement through Whatsapp-like chat with their doctor, and monitoring of their blood sugar, blood pressure, stress levels, weight and diet particulars. “This will allow the healthcare provider to look at your risk profile and flag any concerns 24/7. Chronic conditions that need surveillance can be monitored consistently and relevant diseases that need screening can be pre-empted. It was created from a patient’s perspective so as to be very intuitive.”
At present, the app is available in English, Afrikaans and Portuguese.
With an eye on medical tourism, “Angolan patients who often have to endure being sent from pillar to post when seeking care in Namibia, have a streamlined service where their medical needs are determined in advance and arranged before their arrival”, Azadeh says.
Upon enquiry, Simonetta Musso, owner of Journeys Namibia and one of their clients, said, “It has been a very positive experience. They are very professional. Having accessible doctors’ advice 24/7 has been very valuable, not only for our guests but also our staff members.”
According to her, they have already picked up a decrease in absenteeism of their staff members. “It definitely improves their efficiency.”
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