AXA – Global Healthcare introduces virtual doctor service

AXA – Global Healthcare has announced that from 1st November, all new and existing Individual and SME customers with outpatient cover will have access to its innovative new virtual doctor service, Global Care on Demand.

The service offers members of AXA’s global health insurance plans, arranged in Europe, convenient access to experienced, internationally qualified, multi-lingual doctors over the phone 24 hours a day, or via a video consultation. It is provided by Advance Medical and has been piloted over several months with AXA’s business clients.

The new virtual doctor service provides customers with easy access to primary care and an international standard of trusted clinical advice, whenever and wherever they need it. Advance Medical’s doctors are located in eight main hubs around the world and speak more than 20 languages, giving customers the peace of mind that comes with speaking with a doctor in their own time zone and language, and who is familiar with their local healthcare system. 

This can be especially useful for corporate employees who are new to their assignment destination, or individuals who are travelling and may not know where or how to access medical care. Patients can schedule a video consultation at a convenient time or ask for one of Advance Medical’s doctors to call them directly.

Remote consultations are increasingly being embedded in domestic healthcare systems, with a report by the Healthcare Performance Institute in 2013 showing that 70% of doctor’s surgery visits could have been handled remotely¹. AXA – Global Healthcare is now making Global Care on Demand available to a wider audience, as it continues to design its proposition around a complete customer healthcare journey.

Tom Wilkinson, CEO of AXA – Global Healthcare, commented: “Given the global nature of our customers, who live in more than 190 countries, it was vital that we found a provider who could meet their diverse needs, while also offering a great experience. That’s why our new service includes doctors who are based regionally, and critically, offers a range of languages. 

“Although many expats learn the local language or can get by with the basics, when it comes to medical terminology, it can often be reassuring to be able to speak in your mother tongue. During our pilot, customers who were travelling for work also appreciated the reassurance of being able to continue treatment that had begun in another country – for example, by receiving advice about as medications and vaccinations for new-born babies.”

Following the rollout, members will be able to sign up for and access the service through an online web portal or through the “Global Care for Expats” app, which is available on both iOS and Android.

Wilkinson continued: “For some, new healthcare systems may be hard to navigate or trust, and this can put them off seeking the help they need, or perhaps worse, drive them to search the internet to self-diagnose. This offering can help provide much needed guidance at any time of day or night, to help our customers feel more confident speaking about their health. They won’t need to take time out of their day to travel, sit in waiting rooms or navigate new healthcare systems to get the initial support and advice they need.” 

Carlos Nueno, CEO of Advance Medical, also commented: “This partnership signifies another step in making healthcare accessible to a global audience. Our doctors are highly qualified, multilingual and experienced in building trust with patients via telephone and video consultations. We understand the challenges that globally mobile populations face in terms of accessing a consistent level of support, guidance and advice about their healthcare. Patient satisfaction is at the core of what we do and we look forward to continuing this successful partnership with AXA.” 

Part of Teladoc Health, Inc., Advance Medical delivers expert medical advice to members spanning 125 countries. Its international doctors can speak over 20 languages in-house, with three core languages - English, Spanish and Mandarin* - available to AXA – Global Healthcare customers 24 hours a day. The doctors offer non-emergency medical advice, specialist referrals and fit notes, as well as prescription advice and a summary of the video consultation for the members’ records. Access to the service is unlimited, meaning that customers can use it as many times as they need.  

The information in this article is correct at the time of publishing.

_{*Other languages are available upon request}

Sources:¹http://www.benefitspro.com/2015/02/11/the-growth-of-telemedicine