Carepool Asia, an SaaS-based digital health platform, announced the launch of its telehealth services yesterday.

WHY IT MATTERS

In a press release, Carepool said it hopes to increase the convenience of telehealth services to users with a multifaceted experience that also allows "users to manage numerous aspects of their own healthcare".

The platform will offer unlimited teleconsultations to users with a flexible monthly subscription scheme, "for as low as RM170 ($41) per month" for an initial two users. Additional users can be onboarded to the platform on-demand.

Carepool will also offer services beyond physical health, as patients will have access to doctors, dietitians, and mental health experts through the platform. A core team of medical professionals can be assigned as personal “family or company doctors”, according to Alex Lee, founder of Carpool Asia.

The platform allows anyone to sign up as a free member.

THE LARGER TREND

Across the globe, the need for on-demand telehealth services and telehealth infrastructure is growing, as people begin to value the convenience of virtual care.

Frank McGillin, CEO of The Clinic by The Cleveland Clinic, said that demand for virtual second opinions for complex diagnoses have doubled in the past year.

A survey by B2B software comparison website Capterra found that 79% of its survey respondents in Australia would use telemedicine again after having used it for the first time during the pandemic.

Earlier this month, Epillo Health Systems launched an app in Malaysia which offers teleconsultations as one of its services. In April, Malaysian telemedicine service provider DOC2US partnered with insurer AIA Malaysia to provide virtual health services and wellness programmes for the latter's individual and corporate customers.

ON THE RECORD

"Our focus now is on addressing public health needs and to ensure optimal access of delivering primary health care through low-cost, high-impact telehealth, delivered by our multidisciplinary team,” said Lee.

"Patients who are anxious, depressed or individuals with disabilities are facing a challenging time to go to mental health facilities during this pandemic,” said Sitra Panirsheeluam, a behavioural psychologist, who is also a partner consultant in Carepool Asia.

"Therefore, telehealth is very important to allow the patients to stay connected with their medical psychologists through the right channel,” she added, on the need for telehealth services to address a range of healthcare problems.