Cleveland Clinic has released a new video visits app for Ohio residents, called MyCare Online, that offers patients 24-hour access to a medical professional for urgent care needs. The service is powered by American Well.
MyCare Online has been available in the iTunes store since at least August 2014, and until recently, the app was part of a pilot program -- Cleveland Clinic physicians scheduled video visit appointments with existing patients typically for check ups after surgery. Now, the app is available to all Ohio residents and nothing is scheduled ahead of time, instead patients can see a doctor within minutes.
The app allows patients to connect with a healthcare provider quickly via iOS or Android devices and the web. Providers can assess, diagnose, and treat patients' conditions as well as prescribe medication. MyCare Online's service costs $49 per visit, which patients can pay for via credit card right from the app.
During the video visits providers can evaluate common conditions including rash, earache, flu-like symptoms, cough, urinary tract infection, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, and headaches.
“It’s tremendously more convenient, because people can be seen from home or work. For certain conditions, there’s no need to drive anywhere,” Dr. Peter Rasmussen, the medical director for distance health at Cleveland Clinic, said in a statement. "We’ve all been in situations where our doctor’s office is closed and we don’t know if we should go to the hospital. Or, it’s the middle of the night and your child has a sore throat that needs to be looked at.”
MyCare Online can also sync data from Apple’s HealthKit. The app description explains that some providers may consider using the HealthKit, which would allow patients, if they choose, to share their self-collected health information with the provider during their online visit.
A few months ago, Cleveland Clinic Innovations, a business unit at the Cleveland Clinic, partnered with the Global Healthcare Innovations Alliance to launch a new e-commerce platform called ADEO. Through the website, both caregivers and patients will be able to purchase care tools, including a number of patient-facing mobile apps. The store quietly launched last October.
