1. PART 7 A SEVEN PART SERIES ON HOW HEALTHCARE IS TRENDING.
AND, IT’S RIGHT IN THE PALM OF YOUR HANDS.
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Why Telemedicine is changing the healthcare
landscape and redefining the meaning of a
Doctor’s “Office” visit.
By Steve Okhravi, MD, MBA, CPE
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PART 7
So, is this about Accessibility, the
Conversation or the Platform:
Well, Yes.
Do we focus on the potential for
disruption or the wellness discussion?
The platform and community is, simply, the big idea. These are principles that have stood
the test of time in Technology years. It’s in our nature to seek like-minded people to make
life more rewarding.
Undeniably, a platform gains its power from network effects: the more people that inhabit
it, the more valuable it becomes. Those who move in first, have the privilege of being the
trailblazers; they have the most to gain in the race to self-determination.
Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook, strategized early on that there’s no value in the platform
without users interacting within it. His team postulated that there’s little motivation for
the very first users to come in any empty network. Except for those who are bold enough
to see the vision, the possibilities and to be thought leaders that “get” what it is all about.
That’s where the conversation springs from early on.

2. Ebay creators saw this premise as well: Why will people list their items for sale or
auction on this marketplace if there are few, if any, participants to buy them?
Why will the first customers show up unless there are products to buy?
Again, it’s about the buzz. Who is talking about innovation, disruptive activity and
technology?
They are those who have the most to gain, who can see the merits early on, or those who
simply gave it a try and show up intent to have a favorable experience. The initial users
are also those who gain some type of reward for their behavior. Pavlov’s dogs anyone?
They become the early reviewers, the repeat users and the Beta testers who refine the
solution by giving feedback--and getting feedback--by their usage; by their compliance
(or lack thereof) of the initial terms of use.
So, who are the initial users (those who populate) the community and, the platform?
We started by reviewing the existing structure and, explore those solutions to provide a
point of difference that is worth talking about in the first place. This will ultimately
provide a motivation for word-of-mouth advertising. These first hand referrals are the
strongest and most telling…since they are third party endorsements. They are the real life
stories; they are also the most resilient shoulders upon which we can stand.
The initial users and providers are local to us. Yes, we said we see this as a “global”
solution. However, practitioners and patients right here in my Metro NY Community,
through conversation (and in limited practice), actually are already living the DocChat
Platform informally. The Platform we have fashioned will simply formalize the practice
and add more organization to the notion of Telemedicine in promoting everyday wellness.
It’s the connections we will foster with each other by activating this conversation,
improved accessibility with an ever-present handheld tool that will spark the curiosity of
other users who will come to the same conclusion: we were already doing this (speaking
to patient/physicians remotely) in some context, having done so in the past. This tool, this
platform simply streamlines that interaction and does so on the patient’s terms.
The momentum, the media coverage, the well-fuelled conversations about new practices
in wellness and the business of healthcare follow a preordained path.
Those who are receptive to the story around how this newness may benefit them always
notice new things, new activity and, new technology. Or, for instance, this new concept
may make them appear smarter, more effective and/or more efficient. There is also the
well-worn adage: “the more you talk about a concept, the more real it becomes.” These
conversations are the intelligent tools of construction when it comes to concept
realizations. These spirited conversations provide the planning, research,
development and (importantly) the testing that separates the good ideas from the
ones that are not “designed for manufacture.”
We will grow awareness with gaining early-on reviews, testimonials, and by establishing
case studies. There will be much examination, analysis and discourse by users and

3. observers alike. This will make DocChat, universally viable, firmly entered into the
vernacular of wellness and worthy of a broader acceptance and cross-pollination.
With momentum, The DocChatylists will come to identify themselves as those with
common characteristics, attributes and goals that unite them. Like-minded people
congregate towards a common direction. We call this a movement. Everyone loves a
parade. It’s a spectacle of shared interest. Ironically, this group, though comprised of
many, begins to act as one.
We created DocChat to solve and cater to a community’s needs. Investors will sign on to
capitalize when they see there is both real needs being fulfilled and a viable structure to
generate fairly distributed revenue. Service providers already see the need and the gap
this platform fills in the community. As I mentioned, my considerable network has
already lined up to come on board. Patients will support the solution in a sustainable way,
when we deliver on the promise of providing an effective, efficient alternative to the
office visit for everyday, common ailments. The world community will recognize and
support the platform when a network that already exists socializes the movement:
interactive media.
To recap, the DocChat portal value-based fundamentals include:
1. A Wellness/Patient Education system
2. Healthcare Professional Providers
3. Business (HR/Benefits) and Trade Organizational Tie­Ins and Agreements
4. Business and Technology partners
5. Socially Conscious Investor Outreach (crowd­sourced)
6. Cross­Cultural Value Indicators
7. Multiple, Responsive Target Audiences and Channels for Distribution
The DocChat is poised for success and designed to scale up towards the head of the Long
Tail.
The DocChat “manufacture process” is underway for a mid-fall 2014 launch in the Metro
NY Area. Local Physicians are planning for the solutions at this very moment. The power
of the network, the community is about to be unleashed for the common good of the
patient.
DocChat is an activity that we practice.
We do not sit by idly while it happens.
That is why the Platform is a sign of the

4. times. It provides for an even exchange,
just like every worthwhile conversation.
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In Conclusion
(Part 1,2) The DocChat Platform provides a universal solution.
(Part 3) Our resistance to change requires powerful disruptive technologies and well
communicated presentations to motivate us to move forward and participate.
(Part 4) Technology helps us solve real world problems. Blogs serve the purpose of
growing discussions around new opportunities. They define the value of growing
our knowledge base around options and possibilities available to us to improve our
quality of life. Streamlined solutions abound but they need to be socialized to gain
awareness and acceptance.
Change is only good if we can imagine ourselves compliant in a new environment.
(Part 5) Media, Dialog and Communities provide environments where we can migrate
towards new wellness behavior.
(Part 6) The stories around healthcare are made richer when accessibility is streamlined:
• A comprehendible solution is key to success;
• Patient education benefits healthcare professionals as well;
• Time spent productively is a universal win‐win situation;
• Collaboration, Conversation and Connections empower people everywhere;
• In Community we Grow Strong, Self‐Determined People;
• Communities have Staying Power;
• Momentum is optimizes by connectivity;
Collaboration, testimonials, shared success stories, and the propagation of best practices
inspires development. This, in turn, prepares us for growth of new concepts in healthcare.
Shared success has universal appeal.

5. (Part 7) DocChat is a Proactive Wellness Activity that we practice in the Global sense.
And, it benefits all, in practice.
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Further Reading/Viewing:
1) According to analysis by global professional services company Towers Watson, telemedicine could
potentially deliver more than $6 billion a year in healthcare savings to U.S. companies. Research groups and
industry are increasingly recognizing the value of telemedicine, particularly as it relates to cost-savings for
employers. A few of the study highlights include:
>>37% of employers surveyed said that by 2015 they expect to offer their employees telemedicine
consultations as a low-cost alternative to emergency room or physician office visits for nonemergency health
issues, and another 34 percent are considering offering telemedicine for 2016 or 2017.
>>22% percent of employers offer telemedicine benefits. The percentage of employers offering telemedicine is
expected to rise from 22 percent to 37 percent, a 68 percent increase. These percentages are based on Towers
Watson's 2014 Health Care Changes Ahead Survey of U.S. employers with at least 1,000 employees.
2) http://library.fsmb.org/pdf/FSMB_Telemedicine_Policy.pdf
3) http://www.modernhealthcare.com/assets/pdf/CH95086612.PDF
4) http://www.poweryourpractice.com/medical-technology-trends/telemedicine-get-paid/
5) http://www.handsontelehealth.com/past-issues/78-3-telehealth-benefits-all-physicians-want
6) http://www.wired.com/2014/07/healthtap-prime/
7) http://go.vidyo.com/Y0EdE0DbP00QO002qFG03A4
Save Time and Money with Vidyo's Telemedicine Solution (2:26)
ABC World News Report with Diane Sawyer
ABC News: Telemedicine Helps Families Stay Healthy, Save Money
8) http://go.vidyo.com/u4b000OFdq0E0E02EPQGA40
“Cutting Your Doctor Bills in Half Without Going to the Doctors Office”
9) http://go.vidyo.com/g50Odbq0Q204FA0EG000FEP
Watch Now: Mercy Case Study (4:12)
10) Read Now: Finally, Telemedicine That Works
11) Watch Now: Healthcare Advisory Council (5:28)
12) The AMA and TeleMed communication provides two robust points regarding TeleMedicine:
TELMED--
1) The ability to patch in a Primary Care Physician and (potentially) a
Specialist; and...
2) An EMR Connection to refer to (and update) Medical Records on the patient.
AMA says--
TeleMedicine's sweet spot is to:

6. 1) Administer Follow-up Care
2) Coordinate Care
3) Manage Chronic Conditions
13) "Face to Face" Virtual Medicine https://cloud.real.com/s/rczHVR
14) 8.06.2014: Recent Statement From The AMA:
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/news/news/2014/2014-06-11-policy-coverage-reimbursement-for-
telemedicine.page
15) http://www.forbes.com/sites/zinamoukheiber/2014/08/06/dr-phils-doctor-on-demand-raises-21-million-as-
telemedicine-heats-up/
16) 8.07.2014: http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/practice-fusion-eyes-telehealth-future
17) 7.24.1014: http://medicaleconomics.modernmedicine.com/medical-economics/news/integrating-telemedicine-
your-practice
18) 7.10.2014: http://www.cnbc.com/id/101823566
Why your boss wants you to see online doctors
19) http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-80772771/
Convenience, fixed prices boost demand for doctor visits via Web, text
Dr. Okhravi's deep credentials have made him the perfect candidate for creating and leading Emergency Medical Care
facilities in NYC. This novel Urgent Care facility is dedicated to the NYC communities that EMC serves. In his
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