“Top” Ortho Docs Online for Self-Pay

“The world’s top doctors at your fingertips, from the comfort of your own home, ” boasts the latest Internet online concierge medical services for patients. “We provide priority access Telehealth Consultations & Second Opinions from the world’s leading doctors.”

There’s just one catch. You have to self-pay.

On October 8, 2014, HelloMD announced the release of its Telehealth services. The company claims their doctors are in the top 1% worldwide. The website is peppered with the logos of Stanford, UCSF, Harvard Medical School, Mayo Clinic and UCLA, among others.

Priority Access

“We have already selected the best of the best, for each major category of orthopedic surgery. Our experts are world-renown, often performing hundreds procedure [sic] each year. Many top doctors have long waiting lists for appointments. Our doctors will prioritize their schedules to ensure you get priority access, fast.”

Participating Surgeons

The following orthopedic and spine surgeons shown on the website are from San Francisco and Los Angeles.

• Elly LaRoque
• Justin Saliman
• Nicholas Mast
• Piers Barry
• Youjeong Kim
• Nicholas Colyvas
• Leonard Gordon
• Gordon Lundy
• Jason Snibbe
• Kenneth Light
• Hyun Bae

International Referrals

Lundy, an orthopedic surgeon from San Francisco said, “I recently used HelloMD to connect with a prospective patient in Hong Kong. The Telehealth capabilities allowed for an in-depth discussion of treatment options, and this patient will likely travel to my office in San Francisco for treatment. This is a powerful way of expanding my access to international patients.”

“Strict” Surgeon Selection Process

The company says it follows a “strict” selection process to ensure that just the top 1% of doctors are represented. They don’t disclose how you get on the list because the selection process is proprietary. The selection process includes consideration of “both subjective and objective measures, including peer nomination and review.” Thus far, they claim to have enlisted top neurosurgeons, orthopedic specialists, cardiovascular, plastic surgeons ophthalmologists, and others.

HIPAA Compliant Care Team

A special “care team, ” is created which has access to each patient case. “The care team can span geographic borders, and includes secure (HIPAA compliant) medical records management, and communications between consulting doctors, the patient and care coordinators. These capabilities ensure that the continuum of care is not compromised as the patient transitions from one provider to another, ” stated the company announcement.

Targeting China

The company is building an international doctor referral network and says it already has formal alliances with “significant” physician groups in China. In addition, the company’s proprietary library of over five hundred doctor videos will be converted to Chinese, with other languages to follow.

“Our Chinese alliances efforts are well underway, and we see this as a growth market for leading U.S. doctors, ” stated Nicholas Colyvas, HelloMD chief medical officer. “Rather than compete with Chinese doctors, we are enrolling them in collaborative patient services, bringing the best of east and west medical thinking to each patient engagement.”

“The business of medicine in America is changing rapidly, ” stated Mark Hadfield, founder of HelloMD. “The best doctors are increasingly aware of a significant global market for their services; a market that will self-pay in order to access the best of the best. Our vision is of a global marketplace with easy access to the top 1% of doctors worldwide.”

To see the website for yourself, click on www.hellomd.com.