Update In a move that underscores the demand for faster and easier access to physicians, online doctor appointment scheduling provider DocASAP has inked a deal with a strategic partner. Its agreement with the preferred provider organization MultiPlan will give it a national presence and seed capital to expand its scheduling capabilities, enhance engagement and marketing.
The health IT company helps its users book appointments online with primary care physicians and specialists with the goal of seeing a doctor in one to five days.
In an interview with MedCity News, DocASAP CEO Puneet Maheshwari confirmed it raised $800,000 in a seed round led by MultiPlan, the largest independent preferred provider organization in the U.S. It also received funding from a New York-based provider that he declined to name. The funding was documented in a Form D filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
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MultiPlan has contracts with 900,000 healthcare providers across the U.S. Maheshwari said the deal gives it access to those providers and health plans to expand the channels its scheduling tool can be accessed. It is currently available in New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey through partnerships with MagnaCare and the University of Pennsylvania Health System and physician review business, Vitals. He expects the partnership with MultiPlan to begin to bear fruit early next year.
“This is a really big deal for us. I don’t think anyone else in this space has this kind of access.”
Online scheduling applications have been popular in the hospitality industry, but interest has rapidly increased in the healthcare industry in the past few years, illustrated by the rise of ZocDoc and other businesses. Maheshwari was keen to distinguish its own business model from ZocDoc and other companies.
“ZocDoc is building a centralized marketplace. We are building a distributed marketplace using multiple channels. You don’t have to come to a specific portal to access it.” It provides a private label platform for large networks and offers services for care management. It also helps physicians boost their online profile and increase their practice size. The company is also developing apps for iPhone and Androids.
DocASAP graduated from Blueprint Health’s accelerator program earlier this year. Maheshwari, who graduated from University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, founded the company in 2009. He has said he was driven to develop the company after is wife and son faced long waits before they could get an appointment with a physician.
Appointment scheduling has been the focus of a lot of activity but some companies have been keen to develop their own twist on the service. NaviGo Health developed a compatibility tool that helps users search for a doctor as if they were using a dating site such as Match.com. Its first product is for cancer patients. HealthPost’s scheduling tool is embedded within websites of accountable care organizations, patient-centered care homes and hospitals.
