MDbackline

MDbackline has developed a cloud-based, secure, online software that automates physician contact with patients outside of the office and can work with any electronic health records (EHR) system, founder John Hovanesian, MD, reported at OIS@AAO 2015.

The system allows patients to submit questions to doctors electronically via tablet, phone or computer, allows doctors to provide customizable responses, sends patient reminders, lets patients review doctors on social media, and even can provide drug and device companies feedback about how patients use their products.

“Doctors love the fact that we deliver their educational material and they get 30% fewer calls and over 90% of patients’ questions are answered proactively and in an automated war by the system,” Dr. Hovanesian said.

The system allows doctors to provide patients with real-time feedback and categorizes patient answers and provides reports on the status of patients “so that staff can prioritize doctor’s time and spend it only where it’s most needed,” Dr. Hovanesian said.

So far the system has been used in four physician partner sites and has collected 5,000 responses. “We’ve learned that 60% of the time patients respond to modules sent by the doctor,” Dr. Hovanesian said.

In the past two years, MDbackline generated $900,000 in revenue, which has supported all company costs. Industry partners in the platform are AMO, Allergan, Bausch + Lomb and Alcon. The company projects revenue growth could reach $72 million in three years, Dr. Hovanesian said.

The next step for the company is to expand across different disease states, EHR platforms and medical disciplines outside ophthalmology, he said. MDbackline is seeking investment partners that include EHR companies, contract research organizations and managed-care companies.

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