Data Shows App Speeds Treatment and Saves Lives in Urgent Care Situations
Sermo, Inc., the largest online community in the United States exclusive to physicians, today announced results from the mobile app it launched ten months ago. Sermo Mobile, which allows physicians to access the country’s greatest concentration of medical knowledge in real-time, builds on Sermo’s current web platform, where 125,000 U.S. physicians in 68 specialties discuss and consult with each other to provide the highest quality care to their patients.
Perhaps the most valuable feature of the app, iConsult, allows physicians to take or add a photograph at a patient’s bedside, choose a suitable question from the available list (e.g. How would you treat this?) and then immediately send it to relevant specialists on Sermo. Members can view and respond instantly, offering unparalleled access to shared medical expertise.
The app’s many successes to date include:
- Physicians across more than 30 specialties have used iConsult to crowdsource opinions on dermatological conditions, EKG readings, findings from MRIs, X-rays and other imaging tests, and lab results.
- 77% of iConsults are answered within an hour with response times often as quick as 1 minute.
- iConsults average 12 responses, often by physicians across multiple specialties, demonstrating the complexity and multidisciplinary nature of many medical conditions.
- iConsults are usually resolved in less than 2 hours and as quickly as 2 minutes.
- The youngest patient helped by an iConsult was 5 weeks old.
- Sermo physicians use the mobile app in addition to and not instead of the website, illustrating the added benefit of online collaboration tools at the point of care.
- After only 10 months, Sermo Mobile accounts for 45% of total traffic on the Sermo platform.
“Every minute counts in an emergency medical situation, and Sermo Mobile immediately reaches physicians who are in the best position to help,” said Jon Michaeli, VP of Marketing and Membership for Sermo. “The variety of cases and speed with which they are being resolved is remarkable, and a true testament to the power of crowdsourcing in a vibrant, professional community like Sermo. We’ve observed hundreds of iConsults where Sermo members have ensured patients immediately receive the proper care, speeding their recovery, and in some cases, saving their lives.”
One cardiologist on Sermo commented, “A few weeks ago I used iConsult to post a brief cardiology case of a young patient with congestive heart failure. His echocardiogram showed a rare condition called non impaction of the left ventricle. Several colleagues immediately posted responses. iConsult is a very valuable tool due to the large number of accessible Sermo members, which ensures instant feedback.”
Sermo Mobile is available for Apple iOS devices, including iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. Physicians can download Sermo Mobile for free at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/Sermo/id438752890.
About Sermo
Sermo is the largest online physician community in the United States, with more than 125,000 physicians spanning 68 specialties. All Sermo members are verified and credentialed physicians who collaborate on cases and exchange observations to improve patient care, discuss drugs and devices and share information on new therapies and innovations. Sermo also provides a way to target and engage physicians by providing access to its community for clients that need fast, actionable insights into treatments, medications and devices.
Contact:
Jon Michaeli
Sermo, Inc.
P: 617-497-1110
E: jmichaeli@Sermo.com
