'Remote Medical Service No.1' Doctor Now... Surpasses 900,000 Users in Just One Year Since Launch

[Asia Economy Reporter Junhyung Lee] Remote medical platform DoctorNow has surpassed 900,000 cumulative users within one year of its service launch. Since introducing remote medical consultations and prescription drug delivery services in December 2020, it is being recognized for leading market growth.

According to DoctorNow on the 12th, as of last month, the company's application (app) cumulative user count and cumulative downloads exceeded 900,000 and 600,000 respectively. This achievement was reached within one year of the service launch in December 2020. The cumulative user count increased more than fivefold in the past six months, from 180,000 in June last year. During the same period, cumulative downloads jumped more than fourfold from 130,000.

The main users of DoctorNow were the MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z). People in their 20s and 30s accounted for 72% of total users. One quarter (25%) of users received remote consultations in internal medicine. This was followed by dermatology (19%) and otorhinolaryngology (14%). The oldest and youngest patients who received remote consultations through DoctorNow were 103 years old and 1 year old, respectively.

Efficiency in medical service usage was also improved. It was found that the average time from requesting a consultation by selecting symptoms, medical department, and hospital on DoctorNow to the start of the consultation by the attending medical staff was 8 minutes for internal medicine. According to the '2020 Medical Service Experience Survey' released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the average waiting time after registration at a medical institution is 17.2 minutes. Considering additional time spent walking or using public transportation for outpatient visits, the total medical service usage time was reduced by more than half.

The app satisfaction score was 4.9 out of 5. Many users highly rated the medical staff's kindness, thoroughness, and meticulousness.

The number of affiliated medical institutions also increased significantly. Currently, about 390 local clinics, hospitals, and pharmacies in 45 cities nationwide, including island and remote areas such as Jeju and Geoje, are partnered with DoctorNow. This is more than a tenfold increase compared to the service launch in December 2020. The number of consultations at affiliated clinics, hospitals, and pharmacies last month increased approximately 52 times compared to December 2020. This is interpreted as an effect of improved awareness of remote medical consultations.

Jang Jiho, CEO of DoctorNow, said, “Non-face-to-face medical consultations have enhanced patient convenience and reduced the shortage of medical personnel caused by COVID-19,” adding, “Through technological advancement, we will leap forward as a ‘medical super app’ encompassing not only remote consultations but the entire healthcare sector.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.