Great Eastern, Doctor Anywhere unveiling healthtech services for corporate clients

INSURER Great Eastern (GE) and Singapore-based healthtech startup Doctor Anywhere have partnered to launch health and wellness tech services for GE's corporate customers.

The first of these services will be on-demand video consultations with Singapore-registered doctors, GE said in a media statement on Monday.

This is meant to slash travelling and waiting times at clinics for customers, and allow them to schedule appointments at their convenience.

Both parties signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on July 19 for their strategic partnership which will focus on healthtech innovation.

As part of the MOU, the two companies will leverage each other's platforms to strengthen their wellness coverage for customers. These include GE's health and wellness and rewards platforms, "GetGreat" and "UpGreat", as well as Doctor Anywhere's in-app e-commerce platform, "Marketplace", which offers healthcare products and services.

Both parties will also share content and product resources, as well as tech and industry expertise to meet the digital wellness needs of customers across key Asian markets.

Starting Aug 1, under the first phase of the partnership, about 40,000 insured members covered under GE's Live Great group insurance programmes will be able to consult doctors remotely via video, through GE's Live Great Corporate mobile app.

This service will be rolled out to more corporate clients over the next six months.

After registering in the app, customers can opt to either consult a doctor within minutes or schedule an appointment at a later time or date.

Patients who need medication can self-collect from any of the Doctor Anywhere clinics in Singapore, or have their medication delivered to them within three hours of their consultation. They can also access their prescription details and electronic medical certificates (MCs) within the mobile app.

This on-demand remote-based consultation service will be available 24/7 and is suitable for acute and common ailments, such as fever, cough and flu. For conditions that require a more thorough diagnosis, patients will be referred to a clinic for a physical consultation, or a specialist if required.

Patients who have chronic but stabilised diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, can use these video consultations to continue to receive medical treatment.

GE is providing such cost-effective telemedicine services to cater to its busy corporate customers, according to Leow Yung Khee, head of group insurance at GE.

"Customers today are becoming increasingly digitally-savvy, and are looking for solutions that are quick and effective," Dr Leow said.

GE and Doctor Anywhere will make further investments into tech solutions that improve the patient experience and the quality of healthcare, according to the startup's founder and chief executive, Lim Wai Mun.

Other initiatives will include medical screening services packaged with insurance renewals for domestic helpers, where employers can arrange for the domestic helpers' mandatory health screening to be conducted at home.

Travel insurance customers will also be able to schedule vaccination appointments to be done at their homes or workplaces.

Doctor Anywhere was launched in 2017, providing a range of healthcare services - such as consultations, claims management, appointment booking and wellness shopping - in a single app.

Its team of doctors practise in clinics in Singapore and are licensed by the Singapore Medical Council. The startup is part of the Licensing Experimentation and Adaptation Programme (Leap) for telemedicine, a regulatory sandbox initiative run by the Ministry of Health.

In February, Doctor Anywhere opened 20 hybrid medical clinics with integrated video consultation services and home-based medical services across Singapore, in partnership with DA Clinic Group.

Shares of Great Eastern were trading flat at S$25.66 as at 11.04am on Monday.

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