3 startups helping the medical industry go remote
With the internet integrally involved in nearly every aspects of our lives, it only follows that we are seeing a burgeoning online medical service industry. Startups and other medical marijuana resources have been rethinking the medical industry to increase efficiency and offer online options as essential as online banking, shopping, and entertainment have become in the last few years.
Booking appointments with doctors, managing billing and finances, waiting endless hours at a doctor’s office and repeating the process whenever needed – is what the following startups are aiming to eliminate:
Even after the legalisation of medical marijuana in some states in the US, prospective users still have to visit a designated hemp-based medical physician, have a check up, apply for the medical marijuana card and only then can they visit a local dispensary for a legal supply of medical marijuana.
PrestoDoctor, operating exclusively in California and Nevada, aims to cut all of the previous mentioned steps out. They allow doctor visits to be conducted through online video calls, and after a professional and certified consultation, the company facilitates the acquisition of medical marijuana cards. The platform recommends the optimal strain and dosage of marijuana to be consumed by the patients, and offers discounts for some dispensaries.
Mental and physical health data needs to be passed from one doctor to another, to make sure prescriptions don’t clash and doctors have the full history of what a patient has been experiencing. But it can be difficult to ensure all information is shared, a patient’s history is transparent, and their goals are kept clear.
Kaigo Health basically takes care of all aspects of a doctor’s consultation, including finances. Kaigo Health users are assigned Personal Care Assistants (PCAs) that assist in step-by-step plans towards health goals. The program books appointments with doctors, handles insurance and even shares data about the patient from one doctor to another, and also creates health care plans that patients should follow.
Open Forest focuses on its users’ mental health. The self-help techniques offered by Open Forest contribute to a healthy psychological state and can be used as an alternative to physically attending self help classes.
The program includes modules that help people with issues associated with depression, trauma and parenting. In addition to the modules, the webpage offers self-evaluation tests that help users identify psychological issues, and recommends the best modules to tackle them. Last but not least, the web page is constantly updated with blog posts about studies and innovations in psychological medicine to provide alternative methods of self-help.
MMJ is a resource focused on remote access to medical marijuana certification. The telemedicine platform connects patients with state-licensed physicians entirely online, serving as an alternative to in-person evaluations at physical clinics.
The service currently operates across 21 states and covers a wide range of qualifying conditions, including chronic pain, PTSD, anxiety, and inflammatory disorders. Patients complete a short intake, meet with a certified physician via secure video, and receive their certification electronically once approved. The platform also handles state registry submissions where applicable, removing much of the paperwork that traditionally delays the process. A blog section covers regulatory updates, condition-specific research, and patient guidance to help users stay informed about how cannabis fits into a broader treatment plan.
As more states adopt telehealth-friendly policies and patients grow comfortable with virtual care, platforms that pair licensed clinical oversight with a fully online workflow are likely to expand into adjacent areas of alternative medicine.
As software now enables numerous medical services and especially those that provide medical marijuana resources, it wouldn’t be a surprise if affordable hardware becomes more viral in the near future for a complete internet-based medical experience.