Digital Channel Fosters Closer Doctor-Patient Relationship

Q: What is MEDPACOM’s differentiator versus other telemedicine services in the market?

A: MEDPACOM formalizes the doctor-patient digital interaction. Our core business is centered around empowering health professionals to generate income through virtual consultations. Advice or recommendations provided through a traditional digital communication app often turn the medical practice into a hobby, which devaluates the doctor’s knowledge and experience.

Q: In MEDPACOM’s view, what is a professional telemedicine service in terms of quality of care?

A: Three factors determine a professional telemedicine practice. The first is the proximity of the relationship between the doctor and patient because there might be health complications that need to be handled in person. Second is the trust built with the doctor. The final factor is the confidentiality of the private information shared during the appointment. This is one of the reasons why telemedicine has not escalated: when a telemedicine platform pairs a random patient with a random doctor, it is basically breaking these three factors.

MEDPACOM has found that the most effective way to build a sustainable telemedicine practice is by first creating the doctor-patient relationship in person and then continuing this relationship online. At MEDPACOM, doctors determine the fees for their services.

MEDPACOM views technology as a support tool, which has driven us to create a friendly platform that facilitates management processes. This means doctors spend less time filing in patient records and have more time for their patients.

Medical professionals were recognized during COVID-19 and we want to provide them with the best tools we can. We created MEDPACOM’s medical council to guide us through the development of this platform. Our business model is very transparent: 90 percent of the company’s income is given to the doctors using the platform and the remaining 10 percent is used to continue growing.

Q: Why did MEDPACOM join the HealthX alliance and what goals do you hope to achieve through this collaboration?

A: Working as a group has helped members strengthen their reach and capabilities by addressing entrepreneurial doubts, goals and challenges. HealthX is in a growth phase but it has several membership requirements because we want the alliance to remain professional. Through the alliance, we hope to keep reaching out to more people in the sector and enrich the entrepreneurial experience.

Q: How are you planning to expand beyond Nuevo Leon and what partnerships are necessary to do so?

A: We now have doctors around the country and we are reaching out to public institutions, such as the National System for Integral Family Development (DIF), to enter the public sector and enhance access to healthcare.

In February, an international fund contacted us to introduce MEDPACOM to other countries. As a startup, we have to be honest regarding our capacities to expand while maintaining our quality and effectiveness. We are talking with the Mexican embassies in Colombia, Singapore and Thailand to get in contact with the chambers of commerce in those countries. Our goal is to have an office in those countries to grow our platform and adapt our solutions to the needs of each one.

Q: What is your approach to hospitals and clinics?

A: We are developing MEDPACOM Institutional exclusively as a communication channel between health facilities and their doctors. The channels will be divided by specialty and MEDPACOM would be the digital platform where patients can enter their electronic clinical record (ECR) and receive digital consultations. We will also include the ERC, which will soon be validated, in most pharmacies in Mexico.

MEDPACOM developers do not have access to ECRs and we comply with all national and international norms regarding the management of sensitive data. We are also supported by Amazon Web Services (AWS).

Q: What role does MEDPACOM want to play in the growth of the Mexican health system?

A: We want to support IMSS and the public healthcare institutions in the same way pharmacy-adjacent medical offices (PAMO) do: by helping them look after a large number of patients. We are first approaching Nuevo Leon’s government and later we will approach institutions in other states.

MEDPACOM is a medical application for remote communication between doctors and patients. It displays consultation hours, costs and provides a communication channel via chat, phone call or video call.