This company revives doctor house calls

When  10 year old Kai Krow complained of a sore throat, his mother Shelley made an appointment for him to see the doctor—but instead of packing Kai and his brother in the car she called Medzed, a company that specializes in pediatric house calls.

Tiffany Holland – Nurse:
It’s pretty neat because it’s cutting edge technology.

Tiffany Holland is an ER nurse who works for Medzed. When she arrives at the patient’s home,  she gives them  an initial exam  and asks them their symptoms.

Then she logs onto an encrypted secure site where both she and the parents are able to video chat with the doctor.

The doctor is able to do an exam by using medical devices connected to the computer’s blue tooth.

Zerah Gorham- Doctor:
The patient and the parent are talking directly to a physician.

Dr. Zerah Gorham  says the quality of picture she sees online is just as good as it would be if the patient was in her exam room.

I am on the other side of that screen but I can see everything as clear as a bell i can look in the nose ears heart and lung as if I’m there

She says the real bonus of a virtual exam is the level of comfort the children have.

They see the white coat and they are screaming they are uncomfortable they don’t want to sit on my exam table- here i have the white coat on and I’m safe—I’m behind the computer screen–

Scott Schnell—–Medzed co-founder:
What we have found is that parents and patients want to be dealt with now and if the doctor’s office is closed at 5:00 they are looking for an alternative that will work for them.

Scott Schnell is co-founder of Medzed. He says their goal is to partner with pediatricians across the country and possibly expand the care to the elderly and home bound.

The cost for a Medzed housecall is $150, but the cost when submitted to insurance can be as low as zero out of pocket. It could be $60 or $70.

For some busy parents with sick kids, the convenience might be priceless

Shelley King-Parent:
To be able to stay in your home in the comfort of your home and have someone come and give you excellent medical attention has a huge value I think

Well that’s a matter of opinion because for a lot of families $150 is just too much, but around the country various startups are coming in with different price points both for kids and adults. The housecall is coming back to life.