HealthTap offers a variety of services, including medical advice from a large network of doctors and dentists. It also has a library of doctor answers to questions you might have and an AI-augmented symptom checker that can help guide you toward a healthcare solution.
It is available for a monthly subscription fee or a pay-per-visit basis. Insurance may cover some or all of the cost of the consultations.
Free Medical Answers
Unlike many of the sources that provide medical information online, HealthTap answers are provided by physicians and are peer reviewed to ensure quality. They are also provided from a network of U.S.-licensed doctors spanning 141 specialties with an average of more than 21 years in practice.
For instance, you can ask a question and a physician will generally reply within 24 hours. This service is available for free, and there is no obligation to make an appointment with a physician.
Another great feature of the HealthTap website is its searchable database of questions that have already been asked and answered by physicians. This makes it easier for medical practitioners to provide the most relevant and accurate information about their patients’ ailments.
The New York Times recently criticized HealthTap for not requiring that the doctors who provide answers to your questions be board certified. That may be a petty charge, but it ignores the fact that HealthTap actually is a useful and effective source of information.
24/7 Access to Board-Certified Doctors
Whether you’re looking for advice on an emergency situation or just want to ask a medical question, HealthTap is a great resource. The site has thousands of doctors who provide online consultations via video or text.
In addition to answering health questions, HealthTap offers an AI-powered symptom checker that may help you figure out what’s wrong with your health. The company also provides access to long-term primary care for members with or without insurance, as well as urgent care and lab testing services.
The company’s network of 90,000 U.S. doctors spans 147 specialties. These doctors are available to answer questions about a wide range of health topics, including treatment plans and prescriptions.
Prescriptions
Telehealth services are becoming a popular way to access care from the comfort of your home. HealthTap is one of the top telehealth providers in the industry, offering a range of healthcare options to meet your needs and budget.
In addition to virtual visits with board-certified doctors, HealthTap also offers prescriptions. Physicians in the HealthTap network can write prescriptions for a variety of common medications, including cold and flu medications, painkillers, anti-nausea drugs, and more.
Members can receive these prescriptions via email or at the pharmacy of their choice. However, prescriptions for certain narcotics and controlled substances as well as psychiatric medicines cannot be issued through the app.
Moreover, HealthTap also provides a free online symptom checker to help users identify the cause of their symptoms. The symptom checker is powered by artificial intelligence and trained by medical experts. It gives users a list of possible causes and suggests next steps for care.
Lab Tests
Lab tests are a critical part of a doctor’s diagnosis. HealthTap doctors can prescribe common blood tests, white blood cell counts, and even gene-based and molecular diagnostics.
The Quest Diagnostics partnership gives doctors on HealthTap the ability to order any of the tests available through Quest and to schedule them at a Quest diagnostic center near you. The results of these tests will be accessible to both the patient and the doctor through HealthTap.
According to a press release, this collaboration should help Quest reach a growing number of digital healthcare patients who prefer to get medical care without the need to visit a physical location. The company notes that the addition of lab tests to virtual visits will also improve patients’ access to a more comprehensive range of testing options.
