SINGAPORE - OCBC Bank has partnered seven medical groups to launch a mobile app that links to more than 100 general practitioners (GPs) and specialists,
Through the HealthPass by OCBC app, which is also available to non-OCBC customers, video consultations with the doctors can be booked and managed, with medication delivered to the patient's doorstep, the bank said in a media release on Tuesday (June 23).
The consultation fee is kept at $20 for each tele-consult and in-clinic visit to a GP during normal operating hours. Patients pay a flat fee of $100 for the first tele-consult or in-clinic visit with any of the 63 specialist doctors from 21 specialities, including gynaecology, paediatrics, cardiology, dermatology and oncology. Medication and diagnostic procedures are charged separately based on current practices.
OCBC said the flat consultation fees will benefit individuals or families without existing private coverage for outpatient clinic visits, and those with longer-term medical needs.
The bank added that as Singapore enters a safe reopening phase from the recent circuit breaker period, and with the multi-ministry task force recommending that individuals continue to minimise physical medical visits whenever possible, convenient access to doctors through telehealth will help to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
This is especially so for those more susceptible to the effects of the virus, such as the elderly, those with underlying conditions, and expecting mums. The app also helps doctors to conduct follow-up consultations with patients, especially those with chronic ailments, as they do not need to physically visit the clinic to consult the doctor or get a new prescription.
Singapore Medical Group, one of the partners for the OCBC app, estimates that there has been a 60 per cent surge in specialist tele-consults since Covid-19 began. Apart from Singapore Medical Group, the other medical partners for HealthPass by OCBC are StarMed Specialist Centre, Thomson Medical, Faith Medical Group, OneCare Medical Group, Etern Medical and True Medical.
HealthPass by OCBC integrates directly with the partners' clinic management systems, and information is only accessible by users and their doctors, which provides personal data privacy and security, said the bank. Patients can also access digital medical certificates, clinic invoices and laboratory results through the app.
Patients do not need to make physical cash or card payments. Once a credit or debit card is added to the app, payments to clinics are processed digitally, with the app also helping users to track all costs in one place.
HealthPass By OCBC is available for download onto Apple or Android devices updated with the latest operating system software. More information can be found at this website.
