FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Busy Fresno mom Danielle Parnagian recently found herself on vacation at Lake Arrowhead -- with her four kids in tow -- and feeling sick. Danielle said she was desperate, "Obviously my first choice would've been to go to my primary care, but that wasn't an option at the time." Instead of trying to hunt down an urgent care, Danielle downloaded the app "Doctor on Demand." For $40, Danielle immediately had access to a doctor, who diagnosed her symptoms, then prescribed her medication. Danielle was thrilled, "I was able to get medical attention while on vacation. It was unbelievable. The service was very thorough and I didn't feel rushed."
"Doctor on Demand" allows users in 47 states, including California, to get medical help in real time video through their smartphones from a pool of 1,400 board-certified doctors. Among them, Fresno native doctor Ian Tong. Dr. Tong says while the app isn't meant to replace primary care visits, it fills a real need: "It's really important in today's world where all we hear about are the shortage of primary care doctors and difficulty with access to care." He says, however, there are limitations. It's not mean for more urgent emergencies or harder-to-diagnose symptoms like chest or abdominal pain. Tong explains, "That is gonna require lab testing, that is gonna require hands on physical examination to rule out other things." "Doctor on Demand" isn't currently linked to any health insurance plans, but users will be able to pay with their health savings and flexible spending accounts
Telemedicine isn't new -- but growing rapidly as more people own smartphones. Dr. Robert Lonjers at Kaiser Permanente in North Fresno has conducted increasingly more video visits with patients and colleagues. From dermatology appointments to speech therapy sessions, he says the possibilities are endless to save patients time and money. But Dr. Lonjers does caution -- "Telemedicine does work best if you and the patient know each other. so I think it's very important you've already established a relationship with the patient in a face to face visit."