Best online doctor in recent is what most households are adopting and this adoption was escalated amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The best online doctors are technology-driven health and medical services that allow you to receive health care virtually, without the need to visit a physician’s office in person.
You can now make digital appointments for all health issues including primary care, dermatology, mental health services, women’s healthcare, men’s healthcare, and more.
The best online doctor is equally referred to as telemedicine and is becoming a more viable option where the majority of people are self-isolating and socially distancing.
Using your internet or smartphone you can get in touch with a physician seamlessly at your own comfort.
Overview of the best online doctor
The best online doctor comes with many promising advantages however the cons are equally present.
In this article on the best online doctor, we will consider you make your individual research through the links that will be provided in this article. Also, the essential things to consider before choosing among the best online doctor.
How to know the best online doctor?
To take a clever approach towards contacting the right virtual doctor or physician, there are things you consider. These are key elements that make online doctor services safe, reliable, and effective.
- Service availability
- Response time
- Wait time
- Specialty
- Note score
- Communication platform
Service availability
The availability of services a platform has to offer is an effective route to choosing among the best online doctors.
An Internet medical service provider should be readily available to offer patients a wide spectrum of care, including treatment for acute and chronic health issues mental and behavioral health care, preventative care, and prescription and lab services.
Response time
How effective is telemedicine in responding to patients? This is among the key elements to be considered in choosing among the best online doctors in 2022.
Wait time
This is one of the reasons people shy away from visiting the hospitals physically. In conjunction with wait time, there is a huge discouragement when people go to hospitals and wait for hours before being attended to.
Telemedicine rated among the best online doctor should be able to curb this discouraging factor of wait time for patients.
Specialty
Specialization facilitates professionalism, in order to choose among the best online hospitals, is essential you consider the specialty of a given platform. You want to make sure their medical coders are also specialized and use a CDI pocket guide for correct coding.
Note score
This is an essential factor to be considered in choosing among the best online doctors. All of the best online doctors included here ranked better on the score note.
This score is based on key elements like convenience, technological advancement, personalization, and others.
Communication platform
On which device can the online doctor be found or how accessible is the online doctor? Communication platform must not be neglected in choosing among the best online doctor.
List of the best online doctor
The list of the top 2022 best online doctor is in no specific order however, all the online medical and health service platforms listed are worth a try.
- MDlive
- HealthTap
- Teladoc
- Doctor on Demand
- Lemonaid
- Maven
- Amwell
- PlushCare
- Roman
- Anytime Pediatrics
- BetterHelp
MDlive
This company was founded in 2009 and is a leading telehealth provider of online and on-demand healthcare delivery services and software that benefit patients, hospitals, employers, payers, physician practice groups, and accountable care organizations.
They have a cloud-based Virtual Medical Office software platform that makes it possible for patients, medical professionals, and plan administrators to collaborate seamlessly and securely via voice, video, email, and mobile devices.
Payers and providers can also utilize the HIPAA-compliant system to collect and share clinical data from patient medical records, lab results, and in-home biometric devices for real-time risk assessments, wellness advice, diagnosis, and treatment.
This health and medical service delivery company is in no doubt among the top 2021 best online doctors that offer affordable consultations via a nationwide network of board-certified physicians and licensed therapists.
Why choose MDlive as your best online doctor
- Readily available 24/7 via a browser or smartphone app
- Upfront pricing
- Accepts insurance
- Offers primary care in addition to dermatology, therapy, and psychiatric services
- You can browse doctor profiles and schedule an appointment online
- Live chat is available for hearing impaired persons
Limitations of MDlive as your best online doctor
- Payment collected prior to your appointment
- longer Wait time
HealthTap
This company was founded in 2010 with a bold and ambitious mission: to give real-time access to high-quality, affordable healthcare to all.
HealthTap is a technology company delivering a suite of connected health apps. Their customers include health systems, insurance companies, and (self-insured) employers.
The main service offered by HealthTap is the ability to ask health questions, online and via mobile devices, to a network of U.S.-licensed physicians for free.
They also offer the ability to connect immediately or by appointment with a doctor for consultation via video conference, phone call, or text chat.
There are currently a number of versions of HealthTap available across several platforms and devices, including a version for the web along with applications for iPhone, iPad, and Android.
Why choose HealthTap as your best online doctor
- Available 24/7 through a browser and smartphone app
- In addition to primary care, pediatric, counseling, and psychiatric services are also offered
- On-demand telehealth services are available by the membership at $15 per month
- You can search providers by specialty and user scores and schedule appointments online
- For non-members, there is a free service to assist with medical decisions and answer general questions about a specific health concern
Limitations of HealthTap as your best online doctor
- Services are covered by only a small handful of health insurers
- The monthly fee will continue to be billed to your credit card or Paypal account even if you don’t use the service
- The free services are either automated (such as their symptom checker) or take 24 hours before a medical question is answered.
Teladoc
Teladoc Health, Inc. is multinational telemedicine and virtual healthcare company based in the United States.
Primary services include telehealth, medical opinions, and licensable platform services. In particular, Teladoc Health uses telephone and videoconferencing software as well as mobile apps to provide on-demand remote medical care.
Teladoc lets you talk to a huge variety of medical specialists virtually, quickly, and for free using your existing healthcare plan, no matter what kind of medical issue or specialization you need to help treat your health concern or condition.
Just request a specialist, talk to your doctor over video or audio chat, and have them write a prescription or give you expert medical advice.
Billed as the first and largest telemedicine company in the United States, Teladoc Health was launched in 2002 and has acquired companies such as BetterHelp in 2015, Best Doctors in 2017, and Advance Medical in 2018. This company makes the list of best online doctor in 2021.
It trades on the NYSE and in 2019 was active in 130 countries and served around 27 million members.
Why choose teladoc as your best online doctor
- Accepts most major insurance, as well as HSA and FSA
- Online doctor visits are very generous in length, basically as long as you need
- No appointment necessary
- shorter wait time
Limitations of Teladoc as your best online doctor
- Visits cost more than high-quality competitors unless you have decent insurance and/or pay an annual membership fee
Doctor on Demand
Phil McGraw, Jay McGraw, and Adam Jackson founded the company in 2012 to provide fast, easy, and cost-effective access to high-quality medical and behavioral health care.
The lack of access to affordable healthcare is a growing problem, making the mission of doctor on demand that much more important. They can connect anyone with or without insurance to high-quality physicians, saving valuable time and money.
Hundreds of employers and health plans trust Doctor On Demand to provide care to their tens of millions of employees and members.
Doctor on demand put the patient first, developing long-term patient-doctor relationships, and providing families with peace of mind through fully integrated mind and body care.
Why choose Doctor on-demand as your best online doctor
- Easy to visit or schedule appointments
- High quality of medical care
- Accepts most major insurance
- No membership or subscription fees
Limitations of as your best online doctor
- Visit duration wasn’t the most generous
- High cost when uninsured
Lemonaid
Provider of an online telemedicine platform intended to bring affordable healthcare to patients. The company’s online telemedicine platform takes details of medical history, symptoms, current medicines, and allergies and uses evidence-based guidelines to give a prescription, enabling users to get improved, quality care that is accessible and available at a reduced cost.
It was founded in 2013 by Ian Van Every, Jason Hwang, Paul Johnson, and co.
They work to bring ultra-low-cost healthcare to everyone in America and to make primary care so affordable and accessible that everyone can get great care when they need it, regardless of insurance.
Why choose Lemonaid as your best online doctor
- Very competitive pricing that is lower than typical copays for many services
- Offers telemedicine services across a wide range of conditions, comparable to more expensive competitors
- Website and mobile app are both intuitive and user-friendly
- Partner pharmacies facilitate home delivery of your prescriptions if desired
Limitations of Lemonaid as your best online doctor
- Insurance is not accepted for doctor consultations (though, as described above, visit costs are comparable to insurance copays)
Maven
Maven was founded in 2014 by Katherine Ryder 2014 with the core vision of reimagining healthcare for women and families from the ground up after seeing firsthand how the lack of access to care impacted those starting a family and returning to work as new parents.
The company takes a holistic approach to women and family health, offering you access to experts that range from physicians and nutritionists to back-to-work specialists who can help new mothers transition back to their jobs. The app also hosts a robust peer community, where you can converse with other members.
Maven’s telemedicine service is not for women only. The app serves same-sex parents and offers adoption services in addition to family medical care.
Why choose Maven as your best online doctor
- Available 24/7 via a browser or smartphone app
- Offers comprehensive telehealth services for women and their families, including fertility counseling, perinatal care, midwife services, mental health counseling, and pediatric primary care
- Upfront pricing, starting as low as $20 per visit
- Offered as a member benefit by some health insurers
Limitations of maven as your best online doctor
- Although some insurers offer the service to their members, the company does not accept insurance
- Pricing varies by the duration of the appointment, with longer appointments incurring additional fees
- Mental health provider appointments can be more expensive, starting at $70 for 40 minutes
- Should not be considered a substitute for in-person perinatal care or midwifery services
Amwell
This company was founded in 2006 by Ido Schoenberg and Roy Schoenberg. It was formerly known as American Well, is a telemedicine company based in Boston, Massachusetts, that connects patients with doctors over secure video.
It sells its platform as a subscription service to healthcare providers to put their medical professionals online and its proprietary software development kits, APIs, and system integrations enable clients to embed telehealth into existing workflows utilized by providers and patients.
Amwell has roughly 700 employees and has raised more than $500 million from investors, including Anthem, Philips, Allianz, and Teva Pharmaceuticals, with the goal of connecting patients to healthcare providers remotely.
Why choose Amwell as your best online doctor
- Accepts most major insurance
- No appointments necessary
- No membership fees at all
Limitations of Amwell as your best online doctor
- Doctors set visit prices in some cases
- Uninsured or underinsured will pay more than some competitors
- Doctor’s visits are relatively brief
PlushCare
According to PlushCare, from the beginning, their mission has remained unchanged: to help all people live longer, healthier, and happier lives.
Plushcare was founded by Dr. James Wantuck and Ryan McQuaid started PlushCare Ryan had spent plenty of time waiting around for doctors, and James, as a doctor himself, knew how clogged the healthcare system was.
Ironically, the first PlushCare headquarters was in the back room of a doctor’s office in San Francisco. Dr. Wantuck saw patients via video, while Ryan manned the phones and booked appointments.
Why choose Plushcare as your best online doctor
- Accepts many major insurance providers
- 30-day free trial is very useful for people accessing telemedicine for the first time
- Veterans and active-duty military pay only $49 per visit
- Membership is relatively low-cost
- You can have appointments via either computer or smartphone
Limitations of Plushcare as your best online doctor
- Appointment required
- Monthly membership fees will add up to $180 per year and is kind of essential in order to make the most of the service
Roman
This company was founded in October 2017 by Zachariah Reitano, Saman Rahmanian, and Rob Schutz.[
The company has both a telemedicine practice and a pharmacy to distribute medications for erectile dysfunction, hair loss, premature ejaculation, cold sores, and genital herpes treatments.
Why choose Roman as your best online doctor
- A confidential way for men to address certain sexual health concerns
- Offers a free telehealth consultation with a certified physician
- Doctors can prescribe medications for erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, genital herpes, and other conditions
- Prescription prices are reasonable with free two-day shipping
- Unlimited follow-up consultations are offered if you’ve received medication
Limitations of Roman as your best online doctor
- You cannot choose your doctor
- Does not accept insurance
- The telehealth service is offered as a means to conveniently dispense a limited range of medications
- Treatment options for premature ejaculation and testosterone deficiency are limited to one product each (and are of uncertain benefit)
- Should not be considered a substitute for in-person medical care with a urologist
BetterHelp
BetterHelp was founded by Alon Matas in 2013, after he faced personal challenges finding professional counseling services that accommodated his schedule. With the mission of helping all those facing similar challenges in gaining access to professional counseling, Matas partnered with co-founder Danny Bragonier to develop BetterHelp’s web-based counseling portal and therapist directory.
It is an online platform that provides direct-to-consumer access to mental health services. The online counseling and therapy services are provided through web-based interaction as well as phone and text communication.
In 2015 it was acquired by Teladoc, Inc. however, BetterHelp maintained its brand name post-acquisition and continues to provide online counseling services to consumers.
Why choose Betterhelp as your best online doctor
- Allows you to search and select mental health professionals based on their credentials, specialties, and user reviews
- Counseling can be conducted via video conferencing, live chat, messaging, or phone
- The service is membership-based and costs $60 to $90 per week depending on your provider and/or the form of communication used
- You can remain anonymous if you choose
Limitations of Betterhealth as an online doctor
- Services are generally not covered by Medicaid, Medicare, and most forms of insurance
- It can sometimes take days before a provider confirms the initial appointment
- Once you are paired with a counselor, their services are not unlimited and the availability of the counselor can vary
- Costs can add up as the billing is made every four weeks by credit card or Paypal and will continue until you cancel your membership even if you don’t use the service
Online doctor service
The online doctor service differs considering the platform and your medical or health issue. When you walk into a hospital and request for consultation from a doctor the services a doctor will offer are the same as that of an online doctor service.
Among the best online doctor listed above with some having a particular specialty, that is how the online doctor service is.
Online doctor service can only be considered different from normal hospital visits because of the ease of rendering the service and the platform on which the service is rendered.
If you know what a doctor does in consultation and medical health assessment, that is exactly an online doctor service.
List of online doctor service
In this article on the best online doctor, are going to look at a few of the online doctor services which are listed below:
- Consultation
- Prescription
- Medical assessment
- Scheduling for laboratory test
- Routine guidelines and others.
Free online doctor consultation
Free online doctor consultation is what most people desire although those platforms that offer free online doctor prescriptions have limits and what they can offer to patients.
Among the best online doctor list, there are companies that offer free online doctor consultation however, that are cons to such service.
Is essential you note that in most free online doctor consultations, there are usually late response times and questions are usually answered on public ground in a sense that the answer given is for everyone.
If you really want to get the best online doctor consultation, the paid ones are in most cases better than free online doctor consultations.
Recommendations
How to become a doctor in Canada
Best cardiologist in South Africa
4 comments