More than two months after the novel coronavirus cropped up in Wuhan, China and spread to more than 80 countries, an Atlanta startup is offering its services for free in response to the potential pandemic.
ExamMed, a health care tech platform that allows providers to conduct virtual visits with patients, announced Tuesday it would offer its services to U.S. providers free of charge for three months.
In the past week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization have continued to urge preparation and quell anxiety regarding COVID-19.
CEO of ExamMed Faraz Zubairi said he's allowing anyone in the health care industry ---from doctors to providers to nursing homes to hospitals --- to use the platform for free. He said he is open to providing the platform for free to providers internationally and is talking to partners about doing so, but would need to comply with different privacy laws in other countries, which could take time.
"This offer is open to everybody and anybody in the healthcare industry (in the U.S.)," he said. "It’s the right thing to do."
Zubairi told Atlanta Inno he made the decision following the increase in anxiety around the world about the virus and the announcement that two confirmed cases reached Atlanta.
"Being an Atlanta-based company, we really felt we wanted to do something to calm anxiety and give doctors and hospitals whatever resources we can," he said.
Zubairi approached his team to see if they could support the free service, and they agreed.
"It’s been received very well and very positively," he said.
Some people have pointed out to him now would be the best time to rake in money for his business, but Zubairi lives by the age-old Spider-Man motto, “With great power comes great responsibility.” He said he started ExamMed as a “socially responsible company” and doesn't want to capitalize on the outbreak.
"That's not what I'm about," he said. "That's not what our company is about ... I think we’ve got a really awesome tool and we’d like to give patients and doctors the opportunities to see each other while calming other concerns."
After speaking with providers and specialists over the past few weeks, Zubairi said doctors are starting to see a notable dip in patients in their offices, no-shows and cancellations, in addition to a high influx of calls concerning the virus. He said particularly pediatrics and OBGYNs have seen noticeable differences in a lack of inpatients.
Virtual care like ExamMed can come in handy during those instances, Zubairi said. Routine checkups that don't require physical touch can be done through ExamMed without the unneeded exposure of visiting a doctor's office. Even the CDC has advised providers to utilize telemedicine as a way to monitor patients with mild symptoms of COVID-19 and evaluate their health care needs. The biggest differentiator between ExamMed and many other telehealth platforms is with ExamMed, patients are seeing their doctor instead of just any practitioner, Zubairi said.
"I’m still seeing my own doctor. I’m still getting the care that I need but I’m not exposing myself to something risk," Zubairi said.
Zubairi said that ExamMed can be utilized for routine checkups, illness and follow-ups, not just coronavirus and flu concerns. But in Atlanta, where cases of coronavirus have been confirmed, it might just be the right option.
"You don’t have to drive in Atlanta on a rainy day at 3 p.m. and sit on 285 to go to the doctor's office," Zubairi said.
