PetalMD and iamsick.ca Partner to Improve Healthcare Care Across Canada

Montreal, QC, June 7, 2016 (Newswire.com) - ​PetalMD and iamsick.ca announced a strategic partnership to connect patients to healthcare providers across Canada. The new agreement will enable healthcare providers to offer online booking and a virtual waiting room to their patients through the iamsick.ca platform and improve access to timely care.

PetalMD, the company behind Canada’s largest network of physicians, is now offering an appointment booking hub that improves clinic workflow and patient access. The partnership with iamsick.ca will allow clinics to display physician availabilities through the iamsick.ca website & mobile apps. iamsick.ca will allow patients to search & book appointments at any clinic that uses PetalMD’s scheduling technology. This includes same-day appointments, consults with specialists, and regular appointments with a family doctor.

"This partnership aligns well with PetalMD's vision to improve access to care for all Canadians, leveraging our scheduling and secure messaging technologies that have been used for years by hospitals and clinics"

Patrice Gilbert, CEO, PetalMD

Canadian healthcare providers can now improve patient access to their services while saving money through operational efficiency. Rostered and unrostered patients will be able use the iamsick.ca website and mobile apps to see physician availabilities, book appointments online, and receive automated confirmations and reminders via email or SMS. The platform integrates with the clinic’s workflow and software to offer a seamless experience that saves time for both patients and staff.

“This partnership aligns well with PetalMD’s vision to improve access to care for all Canadians, leveraging our scheduling and secure messaging technologies that have been used for years by hospitals and clinics,” says PetalMD’s CEO, Patrice Gilbert. PetalMD, a company based in Quebec City, is well known to physicians in its home province, with major hospitals as its clients and the Quebec Medical Association as a supporting partner. The partnership allows PetalMD to improve the patient experience by leveraging the iamsick.ca platform.

“By combining the strengths of iamsick.ca & PetalMD, we will redefine how patients access healthcare across Canada from both the perspective of the patient and the healthcare provider.” says iamsick.ca’s President, Dr. Ryan Doherty.  iamsick.ca, a digital health company based in Toronto, has been helping patients navigate Ontario's healthcare system for the past few years and has recently started offering EMR-integrated patient ebooking and a virtual waiting room.

A recent Infoway Canada study has shown that less than 10% of Canadians can book family physician appointments online, which lags significantly behind other countries. “Canadians regularly book flights, movie tickets, dinners, and even same-day deliveries online.  Yet, we still struggle when booking appointments with physicians.  With something as important as healthcare, the process of booking an appointment shouldn’t be a barrier to accessing care,” says Dr. Ryan Doherty. The same study found that online booking allows patients to receive automated reminders as well as benefit from scheduling flexibility and time savings. These reminders have proven to reduce the number of no-shows experienced by each clinic.

Does your doctor’s office allow you to book your medical appointments online? Tell your doctor about PetalMD & iamsick.ca.

About PetalMD

With over 28,000 medical professionals, PetalMD is Canada’s leading medical platform for hospitals, physician departments and clinics. With a mission to improve access to care, PetalMD offers web-based physician scheduling, a patient booking system, and secure messaging. PetalMD is proud to be a full-service company offering turn-key solutions, including a free option and custom modules.

About iamsick.ca

iamsick.ca is a digital health platform that is transforming how patients navigate & access healthcare in Canada. Through the iamsick.ca website & free smartphone apps for iPhone, Android & Blackberry 10, patients can easily find nearby healthcare options, book appointments online, see wait-times for same-day visits, and enter virtual waiting rooms instead of physical waiting rooms.

Media contact:

Guillaume Robert
418-803-7430
[email protected] ​

Ryan Doherty​
647-980-7777
[email protected]

Source: PetalMD