Philippine startup launches app for online medical care

MANILA, Philippines - A Manila-based healthcare startup has launched a cloud-based web app that seeks to transform how doctors and patients engage with each other.

MEDIFI, according to its founders, is a tool that empowers patients and equips doctors with the means to deliver quality care online.

The app debuted on the worldstage at the Websummit, one of the world’s biggest technology conferences with over 22,000 participants from 110 countries in this year’s edition held in Dublin, Ireland.

“MEDIFI was conceptualized after a personal experience with my doctor in the United States and me being in Manila,” founder and CEO Freddy Gonzalez said. “I was convinced a remote consultation online would be a major convenience for patients geographically distant from their physicians.”

The app offers four fundamental features that MEDIFI’s founders built their telehealth experience on: video conferencing, which allows patients to have real-time consultation from the convenience of their home or office; asynchronous chat messaging, which delivers consultation flexibility; a personal medical profile and journal that gives doctors valuable information and insight on their patient’s medical history and condition; and medical image management which doctors can use to view files such as MRIs, X-rays, and CT scans.

MEDIFI co-founder and CTO Jay Fajardo explained the app does not replace face-to-face visits. “MEDIFI will be a boon for those pre-visit evaluations and post-treatment follow-ups. There are also some fields where MEDIFI can play a larger role in treatment, particularly in psychiatric care,” he said.

For patients, MEDIFI offers a way to access their doctors without the inconvenience of driving or commuting through traffic, a big problem for patients in Metro Manila. Many patients spend hours getting to doctors’ clinics, spend another hour or so waiting, and then spend only 20 to 30 minutes in consultation.