With patients not utilizing the services of their usual doctors for fear of catching COVID-19, health care clinics and offices have struggled to maintain their practice without revenue.

With COVID-19 halting elective surgeries and routine check-ups, telemedicine is changing the face of care during the pandemic and beyond. One telemedicine start-up, Carie, has not only seen a dramatic increase in their online visits due to the virus’ spread, but also believes they have unlocked the future of healthcare.

Carie CEO Ian Parker explained that his team has seen an unprecedented increase in the utilization of telemedicine or online health portals due to the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Not only offering convenience, Carie handles all aspects of set-up for independent healthcare providers, minimizing the risk of spreading the disease.

Offering the Carie online platform free for doctors during the pandemic crisis, Parker and his team have waived onboarding costs to ensure patients are able to meet with their care teams without a burden on doctors and their bottom-line.

Focused on offering a platform that is HIPPA-compliant and secure, Carie is adding to their database of doctors each day, despite a prior resistance from doctors to go digital. From concerns over a lack of security with online tools to patients having doctor cells, practices small-to-large have struggled with implementing digital doctor visits.

With patients not utilizing the services of their usual doctors for fear of catching COVID-19, health care clinics and offices have struggled to maintain their practice without revenue (or patients) coming in the door.

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While many telemedicine models connect individuals with doctors in a system they’ve never seen before, Carie’s model deepens the bond between doctor and patient through offering digital outreach to further care plans already in place. Focused on a model of, “Digital but Local,” the telemedicine start-up is helping to improve accessibility, cost effectiveness, safety and convenience. 

Parker cited a double-percentage increase in visits as proof that America is ready for different options regarding healthcare. “Pre-COVID we were seeing only 2 digit consults on a daily basis. During COVID, those numbers have reached high 3 digits daily and nearing 4 digits,” Parker illustrated. 

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Parker and his team believe the future of medicine is showcasing itself in today’s pandemic, offering a glimpse of how streamlined, digital health portal and offer an alternative for patients that struggle with accessibility or multiple health issues and need to be seen more frequently. With data suggesting that approximately 70% of doctor visits and 66% of ER visits are unnecessary, a digital model may help unclog the burden of care needed for an aging population. 

Parker stands by his digital model, adding, “By leveraging and utilizing the Carie.com technology, Doctors can see a larger number of patients as well as triage patients in a more cost-effective way that not only reduces the number of patients in-office, while elevating safety.”