Is There a Doctor in the House? There is Now w/ Pager!

Getting to the doctor can be a pain. First of all, it can take weeks or months to get an appointment. If one of the kids is sick or gets injured, you have to drag the whole clan to the emergency room (aka germ hub) to receive treatment. If you’re the ailing one, sometimes you are not physically able to get dressed and drive yourself to the hospital. What else can you do though? Well, there are a great number of items and services which can be requested and received at home—and now doctor visits can be added to that list thanks to Pager. Yay for the return of urgent care house call visits!

Pager — Doctor House Calls on Demand

Pager is a pay-per-use doctor on demand service that is currently offered in New York City and San Francisco. Using the free app, patients can request a visit and a licensed physician will arrive at your home (or hotel or office) in as little as twenty minutes but no more than two hours (depending on what supplies are needed and the distance to your location). These physicians currently work in emergency medicine. When they are not on duty, they are on-call with Pager for home visits. The doctor that visited us said it’s actually a nice change to sit and spend time with patients versus the tense, hectic pace of the ER.

To request a visit, you need to sign up via the Pager iOS app (or use the web version). Select your service and confirm your location. A note will pop with the name of the physician working that day and he (or she) will contact you by phone. After he has a better idea of the type of care that is needed, he will then send an email with his estimated arrival time.

This is important as he may need to bring special equipment depending on the treatment. For example, I was getting a flu shot but, since the medication has to be kept cool at all times, the physician first had to swing by the office to pick up a dose. If you have any other questions, you can text the physician directly through the app. Payment is also make through the app so there’s no changing of monies during the visit.

For now, the services that Pager offers are as follows.

• Illness
  Evaluation and diagnosis for common infections and illnesses. Prescriptions available when needed.
• Injury
  First aid care for minor injuries, including sprains and wounds requiring suturing.
• Physicals
  Physical exams and tests required for camp, school, and employment.
• Skin
  Treatment for minor skin conditions, including rashes, fungus, burns and more.
• Pediatrics
  Urgent care for children 6 months and older.
• Health Check
  Know your numbers: blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose and body mass index (BMI).
• Prescription Delivery
  Complimentary prescription delivery included with visit. Prescription is filled by preferred pharmacy and cost is added to your bill.

All the Service, None of the Hassle

The physician who treated me arrived on time and was very professional. He came fully prepared, turned my coffee table into a sterile medical tray within minutes, administered the shot without pain (which was awesome), and properly disposed of the needle and syringe in a special container he brought.

I mentioned my allergy to latex and the physician assured me that most of the supplies, including the adhesive bandage he was putting on my arm, are latex free. He kindly answered all of my questions (even though I asked a ton) and wasn’t bothered by Frans hovering around him to take photos. We were SUPER impressed!

During the visit, I found out that Pager physicians carry with them the first dose of some 20 common non-steroid antibiotics. This is fantastic in case you can’t get your prescription from the pharmacy right away or if it’s closed until the next day. They can also arrange to have a radiologist visit you to take x-rays if needed and some lab tests can be sent out, both at an extra cost though. You can also talk to a nurse or doctor on the phone first to find out if a visit is even necessary or for medical advice. That cough or funny red mark might just go away on its own but at least a medical professional can help diagnose that.

Pricing & Code for FREE Service

Pricing is very straightforward: $200 for a visit and treatment ($50 for the first time), $25 for a phone consultation, $100 for physicals, and $0 for prescription delivery. They are out-of-network but can help you get reimbursed from your insurance. Privacy and operation are based on HIPAA regulations (which other medical entities are tied to).

Pager is offering my readers one service FREE of charge from now until January 31st. Sign up for Pager here (use the iOS app on your iPhone or use the web version) and enter the code “cookiesclogs” without the quotation marks. Make sure you share this with your friends and family before the code expires!

While not a replacement for all your healthcare needs, Pager is really the perfect bridge between going to the ER and a general doctor visit. Not only is the service convenient but treatment is administered in a timely fashion and by a licensed medical professional. I’ve heard of several companies attempting a similar service but, so far, the structure and experience with Pager seem unmatched. The only drawback is that the limited service area. If they continue to provide visits like the one I received, though, I’m sure Pager will be expanding nationwide very soon!

Would you use Pager if it was available in your area? If you are in SF, will you try it?

This is a sponsored post and complimentary urgent services were provided for review purposes. All opinions are my own.