Bayer launches telehealth platform for endometriosis in Malaysia

Pharmaceutical firm Bayer has partnered with digital health company DoctorOnCall and the Endometriosis Association of Malaysia (MyEndosis) to launch a telehealth platform dedicated to endometriosis.

Endometriosis, a condition that affects one in 10 women worldwide, occurs when the endometrium grows outside the womb in other tissues or organs.

The new telehealth service will provide online consultations with obstetrician-gynaecologists from DoctorOnCall. For a three-month period from June, free teleconsultations will be offered to patients.

"Given that more women in Asia comparatively are affected by this condition, we see great significance in working with Bayer to launch this first-ever dedicated endometriosis platform in Malaysia," said DoctorOnCall COO Chiak Tang.

MyEndosis President and founder Surita Mogan noted that "telehealth platforms are powerful tools and avenues to educate women on endometriosis, empowering them to voice out their pain and seek treatment early by making informed decisions about their condition".

"With the growing use of digital health platforms especially since the COVID-19 pandemic began and as more people become digitally savvy, we see the importance of tapping into telehealth as a resource to benefit doctors and patients to improve medical management of endometriosis," Yamini Prakash, country division head of Bayer Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, also commented.

NHA upgrades health ID app

India's National Health Authority has launched an upgraded version of its health ID app.

Formerly the National Digital Health Mission's Health Records, the revamped Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) mobile app on the Google Play Store has a new user interface and an added functionality allowing users to easily access their health records through their smartphones.

Through the app, users mainly create their health ID address which can be linked with their 14-digit ABHA number.

The updated version now also allows them to upload their own paper health records, as well as share these health records, such as diagnostic reports, prescriptions, and vaccination certificates, to the ABDM's network of healthcare providers.

Other new functionalities of the app include the option to edit profile; link and unlink ABHA numbers from the health ID address; and login via face and other biometric authentication. 

A QR code scan function to quickly register at any ABDM-compliant health facilities will later come to the app. 

Telehealth platform DoctorOnCall adds PERDIM doctors to its network

Malaysian digital health platform DoctorOnCall has signed a memorandum of understanding with Pertubuhan Doktor–Doktor Islam Malaysia or PERDIM, an organisation of Muslim general practitioners in Malaysia.

The agreement adds PERDIM doctors to the network of healthcare providers on DoctorOnCall. They will be able to tap the platform's wide consumer base by listing their services, such as teleconsultation and home monitoring.

Presently, DoctorOnCall has over a thousand medical practitioners who are serving around 700,000 patients.

DoctorOnCall consolidates healthcare products and services offered by its partner healthcare providers and professionals into a single platform. According to Hazwan Najib, its director and co-founder, the company is committed to cultivating a network of healthcare providers across Malaysia as part of its mission to make healthcare more accessible.

PERDIM President Dr Boi Saidi bin Abdul Razak added that their partnership "will help medical practitioners unlock new possibilities in providing healthcare".

IntelliCentrics, Taiwan Life partner to provide telehealth service for international travellers

Hong Kong-listed health tech firm IntelliCentrics has signed a memorandum of understanding with insurance company Taiwan Life Insurance Co. to provide online health services to Taiwanese people going abroad. 

IntelliCentrics claim that international travellers form a "vast, underserved market" where individuals also need access to healthcare while overseas.

Its partnership with Taiwan Life will offer Taiwanese travellers health consultations via the IntelliCentrics online platform. 

According to a press statement, they will tap local partners, including telehealth provider EU Care, to support their new health service. 

The telehealth service will be launched after the partners explore more mutual benefits and acquire necessary government approvals.

DOC2US powers Watsons Malaysia's new telehealth service

Malaysian telemedicine provider DOC2US has entered into a strategic partnership with health and beauty retailer Watsons Malaysia to connect its network of doctors with the latter's consumer base.

The partnership will provide Watsons' customers with access to online health consultations with doctors from DOC2US via the Watsons Malaysia mobile app. 

It also allows them to get e-prescriptions, which are dispensed from select Watsons' stores, said Caryn Loh, Watsons Malaysia's managing director.

For DOC2US CEO and co-founder Dr Raymond Choy, their tie-up with Watsons is a step to bridge the gap between doctors and the pharmaceutical community.

"For the majority of patients, their first point of care is usually the pharmacy," he said. Pharmacies, he continued, are also where digital health can support both pharmacists and medical practitioners to serve more patients beyond barriers.