KonsultaMD introduced to health info practitioners at conference

KonsultaMD, the latest venture of Globe Telecom into life services, was recently showcased alongside luminaries and bigwigs of health and mobile technology at the Healthcare Information Management Services (HIMS) Conference 2015.

Globe Director of Corporate Strategy and Business Development Vladimir James Manuel’s talk on “The Game Changer: Empowering Consumers through eHealth and Mobile Technology”, featured KonsultaMD, a 24/7 health hotline service manned by skilled and licensed Filipino doctors. KonsultaMD is a service of Global Telehealth, Inc. (GTI), an affiliate of Globe Telecom.

“It’s very exciting to see that people are making use of the service, proving that Filipino patients, customers and health providers are ready for telehealth,” shared Manuel.

Globe Telecom’s newest venture into mHealth services underscores the important role telecommunications play in transforming the way healthcare is provided worldwide — they provide practical solutions for cost-effective and modern healthcare.

With the launch of KonsultaMD’s service, Maridol Ylanan, CEO of Global Telehealth, Inc., stated that “we are showing that ICT enablement can help alleviate some of the issues faced by the healthcare industry. By providing access to telehealth services, we are making healthcare accessible, affordable and efficient”.

She added, “Imagine that now, you can access a licensed doctor at any time of day, every day of the year for a low cost. Not only are you able to save on the cost of obtaining health information, you are also saving on your cost to travel while saving time physically waiting for your turn at a clinic.” Ylanan stressed the relevance of KonsultaMD to the Philippines where the doctor to population ratio is very low, including other challenges in accessing healthcare services.

The leading telecommunications company is not new to ICT use in healthcare. As early as 2012, Globe Telecom saw potential in making Philippine healthcare better by using innovative and technological advances, this in turn led to partnering with Salud Interactiva, one of the foremost companies in the integration and dynamics of healthcare services in Mexico. The partnership then resulted to the birth of KonsultaMD as a way to address challenges in healthcare.

Recently, Globe tied up with ACCESS Health to provide fast and efficient access to maternal and child care services as well as with the Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC) for a mobile communications campaign that provides information and referrals to HIV counseling, testing and life-saving treatment programs. Another effort in the healthcare sector is Globe HealthCloud, an end-to-end web-based health ICT solution that enables real-time, secure and convenient access to health information.

In relation to the company’s mission of creating a wonderful world, Manuel concluded by sharing the company’s commitment in supporting the growth of digital healthcare in the country through relevant solutions. “There’s so much to do with healthcare in the Philippines and Globe looks at the long-term perspective of providing solutions that best enable it. We believe that this is the right step towards national healthcare development — through sustainable and scalable business models.”

​The 6​th annual HIMS Conference 2015 is the premier gathering for the healthcare information management industry. Spearheaded by the Healthcare Information Management Association of the Philippines (HIMAP), it is an event for industry players, healthcare professionals, vendors, regulators, and other stakeholders looking for learning, networking, and business opportunities.

Formerly called Healthcare Information Management Outsourcing Services Congress (HIMOSC), HIMS Conference 2015 builds on the agenda of previous runs with the theme “Meet Great Minds. Seize the Opportunities.” HIMAP taps the industry’s foremost experts, top healthcare professionals and clinical players, the academe and an international network of associations to build a sustainable ecosystem that will support the HIM sector to thrive and grow.