HealthTap Launches First-Ever Virtual Medicine Certification Program for Physicians

Recently, the global online consultation platform HealthTap launched its first virtual medical credentialing training program for physicians, with the aim of providing patients with the best possible virtual healthcare services. HealthTap is a U.S.-based mobile health internet company that offers 24/7 remote consultation services, enabling doctors to conduct online diagnoses and provide guided treatment via video, voice, or text messages. Virtual healthcare is built upon this service platform, leveraging existing technological hardware—such as smartphones, personal computers, and wearable devices—to deliver efficient, high-quality medical and health services.

Virtual healthcare is an emerging technology service. In 2015, more than 200 million people used virtual healthcare services for health consultations. Statistics show that over 50% of hospital visits could be handled through virtual consultation services. Despite the rapid development of virtual healthcare, most medical schools, hospitals, and clinics lack systematic training and certification programs in this field.

Market Prospects for Virtual Healthcare

Ron Gutman, CEO of HealthTap, stated that they frequently receive thousands of calls and emails from physicians worldwide seeking advice on virtual care. As new knowledge in virtual care continues to emerge and everyone engages in ongoing learning and professional development, HealthTap’s leadership believes it is their responsibility and obligation to disseminate the new rules and modalities of healthcare delivery, given that traditional educational institutions have been unwilling to provide training in this area. Over the past six years, HealthTap has accumulated extensive experience in the field of virtual care in collaboration with hundreds of physicians.

According to forecasts by the U.S. market research firm Parks Associates, virtual medical video consultations are projected to grow at an annual rate of 118.5% by 2018. Telemedicine services delivered via video and telephone will emerge as a novel and widely adopted model for healthcare delivery.

Overview of Virtual Medical Credentialing Training Programs

The Virtual Care Curriculum and Credentialing Program, initiated by HealthTap, is a completely free initiative. Physicians who complete the program can earn official Category 1 Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits (applicable toward maintaining their professional licensure) as well as certification in virtual care training. The course instructors are faculty members from leading medical schools, including those at Stanford University and Harvard University. This multi-tiered training program includes foundational introductory courses on virtual care, accompanied by corresponding knowledge assessments to ensure physicians have truly mastered the basics. The program also offers advanced training to ensure physicians can effectively apply virtual care in clinical practice, covering skills such as assessing patient symptoms through virtual consultations and communicating effectively with patients.

Qualification Certificate Level

Currently, the training system offers three levels of training for physicians holding a U.S. medical license.

Level 1 Virtual Healthcare Certification requires physicians to complete all coursework, pass the qualification examination, and demonstrate proficient mastery of virtual healthcare modalities.

Level II Virtual Medical Credential, requiring completion of 50 hours of patient-facing virtual clinical practice;

Level 3 Virtual Medical Certification requires the completion of 100 hours of patient-facing virtual clinical practice, as well as passing additional advanced professional demonstration assessments in virtual medical services.

HealthTap’s virtual care training program enables physicians to determine when clinical diagnoses can be conducted via telemedicine, while also guiding more doctors in delivering high-quality, efficient virtual care services. With the rapid advancement of telemedicine, it is poised to play a significant role in the future of medical practice. HealthTap’s initiative will undoubtedly accelerate the growth of telemedicine, ensuring that virtual care services are available at the right time, at an appropriate cost, and in the locations where they are needed most.

About HealthTap

HealthTap is a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer and the world’s first online healthcare service provider. Committed to leveraging emerging technologies—such as computers, smartphones, and wearable devices—the company delivers 24/7 one-stop online consultation services (from diagnosis to prescription) through its internet-based platform. Currently, HealthTap has accumulated hundreds of millions of user visits and hosts nearly 100,000 physicians worldwide on its service platform.

HealthTap was founded in 2010 and has completed five rounds of financing, raising a total of over $37 million from 14 investors. In January 2010, HealthTap received investments from eight companies, with the specific amounts undisclosed.

In April 2010, HealthTap applied for a $400,000 financial loan;

In March 2011, HealthTap secured $2.4 million in seed funding from investors including several prominent angel investors, such as Esther Dyson and Aaron Patzer, founder of Mint.com;

In December 2011, HealthTap secured $11.5 million in Series A financing, with investors including Mayfield Fund, Mohr Davidow Ventures, and Innovation Endeavors, the venture fund chaired by Google’s Eric Schmidt. HealthTap primarily allocated these funds to developing its mobile application and launching a paid, real-time doctor-patient communication platform.

In May 2013, HealthTap secured $24 million in Series B funding from investors including Khosla Ventures.

Among China’s internet healthcare startups, Chunyu Yisheng, Haodafu, and Xunyi Wenyao share certain similarities with HealthTap’s model, yet they are not identical. It is worth noting that in the United States, consultation fees are relatively high, serving as a critical source of income for many physicians while representing a significant expense for consumers. In contrast, consultation fees (i.e., registration fees) in China are typically much lower. Consequently, for Chinese consumers, online consultations do not offer a cost advantage in terms of per-visit fees.

HealthTapFor detailed case reports, see VCBeat: [[Overseas Internet Healthcare Startup Case Study] What Can Chinese Internet Healthcare Startups Learn from HealthTap?

Compiled by: John

Editor: Li Simeng