Thiruvananthapuram :
Startup firm picke2heal has introduced a application that makes medical laboratory tests cost effective and brings a wide range of lab services to the doorsteps of the patients.
Through the app or website (pick2heal.com) patients can select a list of labs that conduct the tests along with prices and an option to book the test at special rates. If one needs the service at their doorstep, it will be provided at a discount price from the best labs nearby.
The company, headquartered at Kerala Start-up Mission (KSUM) in Technopark here, plans to launch its service in Kochi soon. The timesaving facility brings transparency in medical testing and creates a level playing field in laboratory testing. The platform allows the patients to access the test report from anywhere at any time and can be useful as an online repository for the same.
Prasanth Peethambaran, who founded the company with the idea of aligning the interests of customers and diagnostic centres, said “Our mission is to solve the problems of the medical domain with technology and innovation. You can check prices and book tests online through the website or mobile app.”
“We have some criteria of choosing labs and that is how we ensure that the patients get the best service at an affordable price at their doorsteps. Health, wealth and time – three of them are important in today’s fast moving life,” he opined. The first step in the process was to break certain misconceptions, said Peethambaran.
“For instance, our natural assumption was that patients go to the labs that their doctors recommend. But there is a new category of educated patients, who research the tests and search for alternatives. They are our target customers. When we take 1,000 people, around 200 of them will have chronic problems like diabetes and thyroid. They should have to do blood tests like HbA1c and TSH on every two to three months interval without any doctor’s prescription,” he explained.
Pick2heal has also tied up with diagnostic labs to offer discounts on tests booked through their website or app. Around 70% of treatment decisions in India are based on test results and diagnostics services constitute one of the most critical components of medical care.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Thiruvananthapuram / TNN / March 20th, 2018