Q Life Magazine Q Magazine December 2018 | Page 55

Innovate & Inspire | through the Gulf has called on At-Home-Doc at sea, because its staff members did not have visa requirements to easily come on shore. “This is all about creating an alternative pathway that offers accessibility and affordability to quality healthcare. When we are sick, we feel we should be the centre of attention, and with At-Home- Doc, that is exactly what happens.” Initial calls are passed to a triage nurse to be assessed for urgency. Over time, Elfeshawy believes the service will reduce state healthcare costs. ‘Catch a USD$ 10 problem in time, and it won’t turn into a USD$ 100 treatment plan,’ he says. The company has been supported by the Qatar Business Incubation Centre (QBIC), and is growing 21% month on month, with a Net Promoter Score higher than Amazon’s. At-Home-Doc has already found some novel applications. A shipping company with vessels passing Elfeshawy, who co-founded the company with his doctor twin brother says: ‘That was an interesting project, we had to go out by boat and examine people in the middle of nowhere. Crew members were sick, but we were able to give them the right treatment quickly and in comfort. ‘Cruise liners also contact us with the same type of requests. We are happy to provide a very versatile service.’ There are other pressing needs. Around half of the world’s population has no direct access to a doctor, so At- Home-Doc could revolutionise healthcare in these areas, saving lives. Recently, At-Home-Doc had an online live chat with a man in Africa, whose young son had fallen and hit his head. The doctor was able to give the right advice, so that the child was treated effectively. Elfeshawy says: ‘It’s like reinventing the wheel. Doctors used to visit people in their homes, and that changed. But often a clinical setting is not required. Telemedicine offers huge and potentially really important changes. The value of telemedicine is boundless.’ 55