Photo: HealthTap.
Generally speaking, turning to the internet for answers to your health questions is a bad idea. We’ve all googled questions about earaches, headaches, rashes, and random pains. While at times the results are helpful, at other times, they merely convince us that we have a condition far more serious than we really do.
Well, Facebook and HealthTap are changing that. The new app through Facebook messenger is designed to connect you with actual physicians. You can ask the app questions about whatever symptoms you may be experiencing. You can either opt to ask a question to HealthTap’s extensive database, from which you can receive an answer instantly, or you can request an answer from an actual doctor. If you choose the second option, one of HealthTaps 100,000 network physicians will answer your question. The app guarantees you’ll receive an answer within 24 hours, but usually the response time is a matter of minutes.
Just think: you could get valuable medical advice without getting out of bed.
HealthTap CEO Ron Gutman told Buzzfeed News, “We want to make sure we’re there for people when it’s convenient for them. You don’t need to open (another) app or go to a website. It’s like having a discussion with your mom. You ask a question to a doctor and get an answer back.”
The best part? The service is free.
Although the app offers medical opinions about your situation, it is in no way a replacement for a doctors visit. Oftentimes, the doctors on the app will advise you to see a doctor in person. For example (as pictured above), if your baby has had a diaper rash for a number of days, and you ask what the cause is, the doctors might cite possible explanations such as that the child needs more frequent changing. They might suggest you treat the rash by allowing the skin to air out and applying diaper cream. However, the responding doctor may also include a caveat such as, “If the symptoms persist, you should visit your pediatrician. There could be a more serious infection that needs to be addressed.”
For this reason, app developers have communicated that the app is most helpful for answering questions like, “Can I drink alcohol while taking ibuprofen?” The answers to these types of questions provide you valuable information that may help guide your decision making, but they aren’t as dependent on your individual situation.
In addition to offering the messenger app, HealthTap is also offering a premium service. This service costs $99 per month, but allows you to live video chat with doctors. This service allows you to have a real conversation with a doctor, and additionally, the doctor can write prescriptions, recommend specialists, and explain more in depth what your body is likely experiencing.
I gave the app a try myself, and here are a couple things I learned:
-End your message with a question mark. I tried to be nice, and I ended my message with “Thank you.” This disrupted the algorithm, and I had to ask my question again.
-At first, the app will send you links to similar questions that have already been answered. If none of these answer your question, type the word “Send,” and your initial question will be sent to the network of doctors.
-If you get frustrated with the automated responses, just start over by retyping your question.
-Expect a longer response time if your question needs to be addressed by a physician (1 hour plus).
