David Otero talks about the peculiarities of Dr. Aki

The CEO recounts the details of the birth of this digital platform, Seguros Bolívar, which aims to connect people with doctors and specialists without paying monthly installments.

How did the idea to create the DoctorAkí platform emerge?

In Colombia, only 3 million people have access to private health plans such as prepaid medicines, health policies and supplementary care plans. DoctorAkí was born in mind for those people who want good, timely dates at a price within their budget. The platform is for those who do not want to waste hours waiting for the operator to schedule their appointment, because they prefer to do so from their cell phone or their computer and it is there for those who want to request their appointment without procedures, lines or contracts. Its purpose is to connect people with specific doctors and specialists without paying a monthly fee. Our goal is to provide an alternative to high-quality medical care.

What is the hardest thing in a country like Colombia where the majority of the population belongs to the subsidized system?

The most difficult thing for this segment of the population is access and the opportunity to receive their medical services, especially when it comes to specialized appointments. The platform allows access to virtual face-to-face medical appointments in a timely and affordable manner; We also note that in such a digital age, there are still mainly elderly people who are not tech-savvy.

How does DoctorAkí work?

People only have to log into the DoctorAkí page from their cell phone or computer, search for the medical specialty they need, and schedule an appointment; Online or in the office, select the most convenient date and time and that’s it. You do not need to join any plan, you only need to enter the platform and according to your need to schedule your appointment. The platform currently includes more than 20 medical specialties, from general medicine, psychology, gynecology and obstetrics to otolaryngology and urology, among others. Additionally, users can also rely on other services such as: a general practitioner at home, which is very important at this time in the pandemic where the best thing to do is to stay at home.

What are the most important achievements with the launch of the platform?

DoctorAkí has ​​many advantages. It has an easy-to-use platform, with the ability to grant fast and timely access to high-quality appointments for many people in Colombia, at fair prices (appointments from $ 40,000). Currently, there are over 80 registered professionals, allowing for high availability on various days and hours. People do not need a prior referral from a general practitioner, but they can get direct access to appointments with specialist doctors. In addition, through remote consultations, we were able to reach remote municipalities, where reaching an appointment with a specialist doctor is more difficult or delayed.

What are the challenges?

The main challenge relates to the fact that there is still a portion of the population, especially the elderly, who are not familiar with the technology and there may be little mistrust in setting appointments through these means, as well as in having a virtual machine. Appointment, rather than personal attendance.

Did the platform achieve the goals set in the beginning?

Month after month we reinforce our goal of providing quality, timely, and fair care to all Colombians. During the pandemic, we were able to establish the brand as a solution so that families can continue to take care of their health thanks to telemedicine and we have more than 80 specialists available. DoctorAkí attended medical orders from patients from La Guajira to Amazon and from Chocó to Arauca, for both children and the elderly. Last year, for example, more than 20,000 consultations were conducted through the platform, serving more than 14,000 Colombians in 383 municipalities in Colombia.

How is the platform expected to grow, are you considering integrating other disciplines?

The app grows with people’s needs, the user who tells us where to move. Instead of considering merging new majors, we seek to consolidate the existing offering, integrating complementary services on time; For example, diagnostic tests that make it easier for specialists and patients to treat their medical condition.

Has Dr. Aki studied the possibility of expansion in other Latin American countries?

Our focus at the moment is Colombia. The challenge is to continue strengthening the process, continuing to provide access to quality medical appointments and strengthening our presence in intermediate cities.

In your role as vice president of wellness, what other strategies would you promote to continue promoting family health?

At Seguros Bolívar, we build different products and services to promote the health and well-being of Colombian families and DoctorAkí is an example of this. Currently, we have the Covid Care Form for Insureds under the Health Policy and launched our Covid Pass QR Card; Technical solution for real-time virus symptom reporting. We also convert our medical care to the default method, whenever possible, to protect the health of the patient and the doctor. Additionally, in the past year, we have supported our ARL affiliates in protecting their collaborators by building biosafety protocols.