SeeYouDoc: A Christmas Present for Filipinos

Christmas is the most special time for Filipinos. We are known worldwide for having the longest Christmas season as Christmas carols tend to start playing as early as August while holiday decorations begin to start being displayed way before December arrives.

This Christmas season will undoubtedly be one of the most unique in history with a global pandemic effectively cutting down celebrations and family reunions either hampered by social distancing or limited to virtual calls online.

Many of our countrymen have already been dealing with the effects of the pandemic. They haven’t even been able to consult with physicians to get the proper care or medicine that can help them cope and recover from the virus as well as other sicknesses. In the midst of these unprecedented times, what can be considered as a Christmas present for all, is a platform called SeeYouDoc.

SeeYouDoc is an integrated healthcare platform that can provide a holistic experience for patients, doctors, clinics, hospitals, and medical society via a secure and trusted system. SeeYouDoc uses video call and chat through web and mobile while giving patients e-prescriptions that are accepted at any pharmacy. The platform, together with partners at Pivotal Peak Digital Health Solutions, Inc., also gives doctors access to medical records while allowing them to give knowledgeable diagnoses based on lab requests.

“Payments for use of SeeYouDoc can be processed through credit cards and e-wallet platforms, notes Noel del Castillo, SeeYouDoc CEO and CTO. “Compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) means that SeeYouDoc meets the highest standards of protecting the privacy and security of patients.”

“The beauty of SeeYouDoc is that it is a versatile platform with benefits for several segments within the medical field,” adds SeeYouDoc CMMO and Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Balik Scientist Dr. AJ Rosario. “Aside from patients and doctors, medical societies, hospitals, and clinics are given their own management systems to be able to manage members, clinics, and multiple doctors through dashboard analytics while receiving real-time notifications.”

From its 2018 launch that saw an initial 20 doctors and 44 facilities being accessed by 134 users, SeeYouDoc has seen immense growth to date. In May 2020, SeeYouDoc became the telemedicine partner of the Department of Health to battle COVID-19, and a month later, it was accepted at the Asian Institute of Management-Dado Banatao Incubator.

SeeYouDoc recently partnered with the telemedicine program for medical students at the St. Luke’s Medical Center College of Medicine as well as with PLDT Enterprise through the group’s ICT arm ePLDT Inc. for its eHealth program.

“Entering into a partnership with SeeYouDoc felt natural to us as we both see the value of telemedicine rising particularly in the face of the global pandemic,” says Dr. Susan Pelea Nagtalon, MSPH, SLMC CM-WHQM Dean and Chief Academic Officer. 

“We at PLDT Enterprise are pleased to collaborate with SeeYouDoc in serving our countrymen through our eHealth services which aim to enable Filipinos to communicate online with accredited medical practitioners—all while remaining safe from their homes,” said Jovy Hernandez, ePLDT President & CEO and SVP & Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups.

Currently, there are over 12,000 SeeYouDoc users with over 700 doctors and over 420 facilities with an average of over 50 consultations a day which is a number foreseen to grow in the coming years.

There has never been a Christmas season with the challenges that we are encountering this 2020. The reality of the global pandemic coupled with economic difficulties have seemingly put a damper on what has always been a joyous season for Filipinos. Never before have distance between loved ones and isolation been felt as strongly as they do now.

In spite of these challenges, SeeYouDoc aims to provide a service that once more bridges the gap that has suddenly arisen between patients and the doctors whose lives have been dedicated to healing them. SeeYouDoc allows people who are separated from one another because of the pandemic to remain involved in the care of their loved ones through one convenient app.

“Even in the face of the uncertain times brought on by the pandemic, SeeYouDoc is ready to meet the challenge head-on and provide services that patients need while simultaneously servicing different sectors within the medical profession. We want to make a difference and we believe through SeeYouDoc, our vision of providing healthcare for all is within reach,” says del Castillo.

“SeeYouDoc is not hindered by time and location. The platform gives one the opportunity to engage with a doctor while virtually holding the hand of their parent while in the consultation process even if they aren’t in the same city, let alone country,” Rosario points out.

SeeYouDoc currently has prominent partners who believe in their positive efforts. These include Art International Media, LLC (AIM) from Georgia, USA, Unified Society of Thomasians from Texas, USA (UST Texas), Tau Mu Sigma Phi, Hospital on Wheels, ePLDT, AIM-Dado Banatao Incubator, the Department of Health (DOH), University of the Philippines-Manila, UP Manila Technology Transfer and Business Development Office (UP-TTBDO), and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) – PCHRD (Philippine Council for Health Research and Development Executive).

The SeeYouDoc app is available for download on the App Store or Google Play. For more information about SeeYouDoc, visit www.seeyoudoc.com.