February 7, 2018 at 11:58Consultation in a smartphone: about the MegaFon.Health service and the development of telemedicine
At the end of last year, MegaFon began to develop its own telemedicine service - MegaFon.Health. It has been available since November for subscribers in Moscow and the region and was the first among analogues in Russia to use the subscription model.
The service is based on the Telemed Help platform. About what MegaFon is. Health and how telemedicine is doing in Russia in general - below, on behalf of the platform developers.
Initially, we conceived the Telemed Help as a useful iOS application for communicating with doctors. But then they got a taste and started: they added the ability to store and transfer medical data, wrote versions for Android and the Web. And they also laid down the possibility of using the platform under affiliate brands (white label) and fast scaling.
Around the same time, mobile operators turned their attention to telemedicine, and we had an opportune time to have a ready-made MVP. After negotiations, we signed an agreement with MegaFon, armed ourselves with the operator’s brand book and based on our platform created the MegaFon.Health application for iOS and Android. Now MegaFon is engaged in advertising and promotion of the service among its subscribers, and Telemed Help supports work, data security and further development.
Working in accordance with current legislation helps us that our platform is hosted in the CROC cloud. The integrator’s specialists provide not only resources, but also the necessary means of protection, an audit of infrastructure and processes, which saves us from a fair headache.
On January 1, amendments to federal law No. 242-FZ concerning telemedicine entered into force. So we are waiting for technical work. Since the legislation has not yet been described, it’s impossible to list the exact improvements. Most likely, it will require the introduction of an electronic digital signature of a doctor, patient identification and authentication systems, common classifiers of telemedicine services, integration with EHISS and TFOMS.
In the West, all legislative delays related to telemedicine have already been resolved, while we are at an earlier stage. We implement the main points in accordance with 152-ФЗ “On the protection of personal data”. In the summer of 2017, our platform was added to the register of information dissemination organizers of Roskomnadzor.
We offer all services on our platform according to the subscription model. MegaFon also uses it. Health - unlike, for example, Yandex.Health, where you need to pay for each consultation.
The basic cost of a monthly subscription to MegaFon. Health is 150 rubles. For 299 an extended version is offered - here specialists with experience of more than 15 years, as well as doctors of sciences, are connected to consultations.
We tried to make the service easy to use and therefore we expect that it will suit older people with minimal experience with electronic gadgets and the Internet. In addition, they often turn to doctors for consultations, and payment by subscription model will be beneficial.
We highlight three key benefits of using telemedicine services. Firstly, they allow you to quickly get a "second opinion", in addition to the opinion of the attending physician. Secondly, it’s easier for doctors to track patient treatment. The initial appointment and diagnosis is made, say, in person, but later on, during treatment, it is more convenient to check with a doctor remotely, and telemedicine services are great for this. And finally, telemedicine provides more opportunities for the choice of a doctor - the patient is not limited in terms of geography.
Our experience shows that telemedicine services are in demand among medical institutions. In those clinics where there are already enough patients, they understand that telemedicine will help improve their work. Moreover, the search for new clients does not require additional investments - in contrast to working through a medical aggregator, which takes money from the clinic for each patient involved. In essence, the telemedicine service allows you to organize a beneficial interaction for the doctor and patient, the exchange of medical information.
In the near future, certain improvements are waiting for the service: it is necessary to bring everything into full compliance with the new legislation in the field of telemedicine. On the other hand, we will continue to equip doctors and partner clinics with the Internet and the necessary equipment.
Industry progress in Russia has been slowed down due to the lack of regulations in the use of medical gadgets for remote monitoring. We have our own manufacturers - but without laws and certificates, state clinics cannot use this equipment, and such products almost completely go abroad.
We hope that the situation with gadgets will improve, and we will actively help in this. In general, we expect that the transition to the mass use of telemedicine services is a matter of a couple of years.
The service is based on the Telemed Help platform. About what MegaFon is. Health and how telemedicine is doing in Russia in general - below, on behalf of the platform developers.
A bit of history
Initially, we conceived the Telemed Help as a useful iOS application for communicating with doctors. But then they got a taste and started: they added the ability to store and transfer medical data, wrote versions for Android and the Web. And they also laid down the possibility of using the platform under affiliate brands (white label) and fast scaling.
Around the same time, mobile operators turned their attention to telemedicine, and we had an opportune time to have a ready-made MVP. After negotiations, we signed an agreement with MegaFon, armed ourselves with the operator’s brand book and based on our platform created the MegaFon.Health application for iOS and Android. Now MegaFon is engaged in advertising and promotion of the service among its subscribers, and Telemed Help supports work, data security and further development.
About Legislator Requirements
Working in accordance with current legislation helps us that our platform is hosted in the CROC cloud. The integrator’s specialists provide not only resources, but also the necessary means of protection, an audit of infrastructure and processes, which saves us from a fair headache.
On January 1, amendments to federal law No. 242-FZ concerning telemedicine entered into force. So we are waiting for technical work. Since the legislation has not yet been described, it’s impossible to list the exact improvements. Most likely, it will require the introduction of an electronic digital signature of a doctor, patient identification and authentication systems, common classifiers of telemedicine services, integration with EHISS and TFOMS.
In the West, all legislative delays related to telemedicine have already been resolved, while we are at an earlier stage. We implement the main points in accordance with 152-ФЗ “On the protection of personal data”. In the summer of 2017, our platform was added to the register of information dissemination organizers of Roskomnadzor.
About the benefits for doctors and patients
We offer all services on our platform according to the subscription model. MegaFon also uses it. Health - unlike, for example, Yandex.Health, where you need to pay for each consultation.
The basic cost of a monthly subscription to MegaFon. Health is 150 rubles. For 299 an extended version is offered - here specialists with experience of more than 15 years, as well as doctors of sciences, are connected to consultations.
We tried to make the service easy to use and therefore we expect that it will suit older people with minimal experience with electronic gadgets and the Internet. In addition, they often turn to doctors for consultations, and payment by subscription model will be beneficial.
We highlight three key benefits of using telemedicine services. Firstly, they allow you to quickly get a "second opinion", in addition to the opinion of the attending physician. Secondly, it’s easier for doctors to track patient treatment. The initial appointment and diagnosis is made, say, in person, but later on, during treatment, it is more convenient to check with a doctor remotely, and telemedicine services are great for this. And finally, telemedicine provides more opportunities for the choice of a doctor - the patient is not limited in terms of geography.
Our experience shows that telemedicine services are in demand among medical institutions. In those clinics where there are already enough patients, they understand that telemedicine will help improve their work. Moreover, the search for new clients does not require additional investments - in contrast to working through a medical aggregator, which takes money from the clinic for each patient involved. In essence, the telemedicine service allows you to organize a beneficial interaction for the doctor and patient, the exchange of medical information.
Plans for 2018
In the near future, certain improvements are waiting for the service: it is necessary to bring everything into full compliance with the new legislation in the field of telemedicine. On the other hand, we will continue to equip doctors and partner clinics with the Internet and the necessary equipment.
Industry progress in Russia has been slowed down due to the lack of regulations in the use of medical gadgets for remote monitoring. We have our own manufacturers - but without laws and certificates, state clinics cannot use this equipment, and such products almost completely go abroad.
We hope that the situation with gadgets will improve, and we will actively help in this. In general, we expect that the transition to the mass use of telemedicine services is a matter of a couple of years.