Saga-based software developer Optim and Tokyo-based doctor referral service MRT have announced the release of a new app that will use smartphones to provide remote medical consultations. Dubbed Pocket Doctor, the app will connect patients and doctors, allowing remote diagnoses by way of video chats and photo sharing. It will be available for download on Apr. 1. It will be free for patients, and for the time being, it will also be free for medical providers. According to the two companies, 1,340 medical institutions have already expressed an interest in adopting the system. The initial aim is to have 600 doctors signed up before the app’s launch, but issues remain concerning doctor recruitment and ample coverage of the various branches of medicine. Fees will apply for two levels of consultations: preliminary reservation and immediate consultation. The Cabinet Office’s Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management and Reform 2015, released last June, calls for the the promotion of remote healthcare services. Based on this, follow-up consultations that are conducted remotely, via telephone or other means, are now covered by health insurance. Source: Optim press release, 2/4
