Devon Blog

Tag: referrals

  • Better care with CarePlus: Preventative Screenings in Primary Care

    What if the most important health conditions could be caught early, right at your doctor’s office, without needing multiple appointments, specialists, or delays?

    CarePlus by HealthOcta is a new kind of technology platform built to transform how and where preventative healthcare happens. By enabling diagnostic screenings at the point of primary care, CarePlus helps identify critical health risks earlier, improving outcomes for patients, reducing long-term costs for payers, and empowering providers with better tools.

    What Is CarePlus?

    CarePlus is a software-powered screening platform that equips primary care offices with the tools, training, and workflows to deliver preventative health screenings during routine checkups. Screenings are either automated through structured questionnaires or powered by onsite imaging devices whose results are reviewed remotely by specialists on the CarePlus network.

    Our goal is simple but powerful: Bring preventative care to the frontline of medicine, the Primary Care Provider (PCP).

    What Problems Does CarePlus Solve?

    Preventative screenings are underutilized, despite their proven impact. Why?

    • They often require referrals, separate appointments, or specialized clinics
    • Many practices lack equipment or trained staff
    • Follow-through is low: patients don’t always act on referrals
    • Insurers bear the cost of avoidable disease progression

    CarePlus solves this by:

    • Embedding screenings into routine PCP workflows
    • Providing devices and software directly to the clinic
    • Training staff to capture the data without specialist supervision
    • Enabling remote reviews by credentialed specialists
    • Supporting proper documentation and payer reimbursement

    Our First Solution: Diabetic Retinopathy Screening

    We’re launching CarePlus with a major public health challenge in mind: diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in working-age adults.

    Why this matters:

    • Over 38 million Americans are diabetic or prediabetic
    • Eye exams are often skipped due to cost, time, logistics or simply the lack of proactive interest by a patient
    • Retinopathy is preventable if caught early

    How CarePlus Works:

    • A smart fundoscope is provided to PCP clinics
    • Medical assistants are trained to capture retinal images during the patient visit
    • Images are uploaded securely and read by licensed ophthalmologists in the CarePlus network
    • PCPs are notified of the results, and at-risk patients are referred
    • Payers reimburse both the screening and reading
    • Patients get better care, without extra effort or delays

    What’s Next: Expanding the Scope of Preventative Screening

    CarePlus is designed to be modular and extensible. Beyond retinopathy, we’re actively developing and validating new screening modules:

    In Development:

    • Mental Health Screenings
      Using evidence-based questionnaires (PHQ-9, GAD-7, PCL-5), patients can be screened during visits with automated scoring and referral guidance. This is especially valuable as depression and anxiety go undetected in over 50% of primary care encounters.
    • Peripheral Artery Disease (ABI Testing)
      Early detection can prevent major cardiovascular complications.
    • Chronic Kidney Disease Screening
      With early indicators flagged via simple urinalysis or eGFR integration.
    • Cognitive Impairment / Dementia Screening
      Tools for aging populations using structured assessments (e.g., MoCA).
    • Spirometry for COPD and Asthma Management
      Lung function testing, simplified for use by PCP staff and reviewed remotely.

    Our Vision

    Preventative care should be:

    • Accessible at the point of contact
    • Affordable through payer-aligned workflows
    • Actionable with structured follow-up
    • Scalable across practices and populations

    CarePlus brings all of that together, starting with real tools, in real clinics, solving real problems.

    📩 Want to partner with us or learn how CarePlus can support your clinic or health system?
    Reach out at [email protected] or visit www.healthocta.com/careplus

  • Mental Health Screenings with CarePlus

    Bringing Proactive Mental Health Detection into Primary Care

    📊 The Need Is Urgent and Growing

    More than 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, yet over 50% go undiagnosed or untreated. Conditions like depression, anxiety, stress, and PTSD can severely impact quality of life and physical health when left unaddressed. Delays in diagnosis often result in higher healthcare costs, emergency interventions, and avoidable chronic disease exacerbation.

    Despite the scale of this crisis, most primary care clinics lack the tools to effectively screen for mental health conditions during routine visits.

    💡 CarePlus Makes Mental Health Screening Simple, Scalable, and Effective

    CarePlus by HealthOcta integrates evidence-based mental health screenings directly into the annual wellness visit—empowering primary care providers (PCPs) to detect early warning signs of mental illness in minutes, using standardized tools and remote assessments.

    How It Works:

    1. Patients self-administer brief digital questionnaires (e.g., PHQ-9, GAD-7) at the clinic or via tablet during intake.
    2. Responses are securely reviewed by licensed mental health professionals through the CarePlus platform.
    3. PCPs receive a clinical summary with risk stratification and referral guidance.
    4. High-risk patients are flagged for follow-up or referral to in-network behavioral health providers.
    5. The entire process is reimbursable through existing preventive care billing codes.

    🎯 What Makes This Different?

    • No additional staff required: seamlessly fits into existing checkup workflows
    • No medical device needed: only a digital form and clinical review
    • Clinical-grade accuracy: based on validated diagnostic tools
    • Remote consultation model: mirrors our success with diabetic retinopathy screenings
    • Fully compliant & secure: HIPAA-compliant infrastructure and workflows

    🏥 Why It Elevates Care Quality

    • Earlier diagnosis → patients get help before symptoms worsen
    • Lower stigma → mental health becomes a standard, routine part of care
    • Continuity of care → PCPs stay involved throughout the mental health journey
    • Better outcomes → reduces hospitalizations, absenteeism, and crisis care
    • Lower cost of care → improves payer ROI through prevention

    ✅ Screen for the Most Prevalent Conditions

    ConditionScreening ToolU.S. Adults AffectedAvg. Detection Time w/o Screening
    DepressionPHQ-921 millionOften >6 months
    AnxietyGAD-740 millionOften >12 months
    Stress & BurnoutPSS70 million (est.)Rarely detected formally
    PTSDPCL-58 millionFrequently missed in PCP visits

    🚀 Bring Mental Health to the Frontline of Preventive Care

    CarePlus enables you to close care gaps, reduce silent suffering, and provide whole-person care—all without adding operational complexity.

    📞 Contact us to integrate mental health screenings into your practice
    📧 [email protected] | 📍 Serving clinics nationwide

  • Need a Second Opinion? Here’s Why More Patients Are Turning to eClinics by HealthOcta

    When it comes to your health, uncertainty is not an option. If you’ve been given a diagnosis you’re unsure about, or you’re facing a serious treatment decision, getting a second opinion can provide clarity, confidence, and in some cases, a completely different direction.

    But in the traditional healthcare system, getting a second opinion often takes weeks. You need referrals, approvals, and the patience to navigate scheduling bottlenecks. If you’re uninsured or paying out of pocket, it can be even harder to access the expertise you need.

    That’s where eClinics by HealthOcta comes in.

    Second opinions, without the wait

    eClinics by HealthOcta is a virtual care platform that gives you direct access to licensed doctors—including specialists—without needing insurance or referrals. You browse profiles, choose a provider based on their background and experience, and book a consult on your time. It’s pay-per-consult, with upfront pricing and no hidden charges.

    Whether you’re dealing with a chronic condition, a recent diagnosis, or a recommendation for surgery, you can speak with a qualified expert who listens carefully, reviews your history, and gives you real feedback.

    Why second opinions matter

    Second opinions aren’t just about peace of mind. They often lead to better outcomes. Studies have shown that when patients seek a second opinion:

    • 15–30% receive a changed or refined diagnosis
    • More than 60% receive a modified treatment plan
    • Some patients are able to avoid unnecessary procedures altogether

    In many cases, it’s not that the first doctor was wrong. It’s that medicine is complex, and perspectives differ. A second pair of eyes can reveal things that were missed—or offer a simpler, less invasive solution.

    Global access to specialists

    One of the advantages of eClinics by HealthOcta is that you’re not limited to specialists in your city or your network. You can consult with doctors across the country or even across borders. Many are internationally trained, have U.S. board certifications, or have years of experience managing exactly the condition you’re dealing with.

    This matters if you:

    • Live in a rural area or a small town
    • Don’t want to wait weeks for an in-network referral
    • Want the input of someone with a different medical background
    • Need an expert in a specific subspecialty that’s not locally available

    No insurance? No problem.

    Traditional second opinions often require insurance approvals, copays, or travel. With eClinics, you skip the bureaucracy entirely. Everything is paid directly between you and the provider. You know the cost before you book. You’re not locked into long-term plans or subscriptions. You pay only when you need care.

    For patients with high-deductible plans or no insurance at all, this model removes the friction. It puts you back in control of your health.

    Built for people who want answers, not obstacles

    If you’ve ever left a medical appointment with more questions than answers, you’re not alone. eClinics is designed for people who want clear, expert guidance without the delays and barriers of traditional care.

    You’re not rushed. You’re not navigating a call center or portal. You’re speaking with a medical professional who’s there to listen and respond—on your terms.

    Take the next step

    Getting a second opinion used to be a hassle. Now it’s a few clicks away. eClinics by HealthOcta makes it easier to be informed, proactive, and confident in your medical decisions. It’s a simple platform built around your needs—not insurance networks, hospital systems, or outdated rules.

    When it comes to your health, more clarity is never a bad idea.

  • Why more doctors are choosing to create a virtual practice over a traditional private practice

    Many doctors dream of private practice—independence, deeper patient relationships, and control over how and when they work. But the reality of building a traditional practice is steep: leasing space, hiring staff, dealing with insurance, and managing overhead. Even a virtual practice can require juggling tools, building a website, managing video consults, and figuring out billing and compliance on your own.

    We’ve talked to many doctors and have developed a deep understanding of the challenges faced building a private practice. That’s why we’re building eClinics by HealthOcta, a turnkey platform that makes it simple to run your own virtual clinic, with none of the infrastructure investment.

    Practice Medicine on Your Terms

    With eClinics, you can see patients when you want, from wherever you are. Set your own consultation rates, define the scope of your services, and focus on what you do best – caring for people. There’s no need to negotiate insurance, handle paperwork, or build your own tech stack. You get a fully functional clinic, hosted online, under your name.

    Durable, Independent Income

    eClinics gives you the chance to build a sustainable income stream – one that works alongside your current role, or stands on its own. Whether you’re a full-time physician, transitioning toward retirement, or looking to diversify your work, this is a low-friction way to earn on your own terms.

    Want to work light hours? Set up your clinic to only offer ‘second opinions’. Prefer international patients? Accept only ‘out-of-country’ consults. Want to serve your own community on evenings or weekends? You’re in control.

    Designed for a New Era of Care

    This model isn’t just about convenience. It’s about reaching patients who are underserved, uninsured, or stuck waiting weeks for referrals. It’s about offering consistent guidance to people managing chronic conditions. And it’s about giving you—the physician—more agency, more flexibility, and a better way to keep practicing medicine in a system that often burns people out.

    Whether you’re early in your career or decades in, eClinics by HealthOcta gives you a modern, powerful way to build something of your own. A practice that travels with you, scales with your time, and grows as your goals evolve.

  • Why Patients are frustrated with Healthcare and How eClinics by HealthOcta offers a Better Way

    Healthcare today is broken for a lot of people. Appointments take too long. Prices are confusing. Insurance creates more problems than it solves. Most patients just want clear answers, affordable care, and someone who listens. Instead, they often face delays, dead ends, and costs they didn’t see coming.

    We’re creating eClinics by HealthOcta (expected to launch by September 2025) to change that.

    One of the biggest frustrations people face is how long it takes to get help. It’s not uncommon to wait two to four weeks for a basic appointment. Seeing a specialist can take even longer. In that time, your symptoms could worsen, your anxiety builds, and your options shrink. With eClinics, you can often speak to a doctor within a day or two. You choose the provider, pick the time, and get answers when you need them, not weeks later.

    Another common issue is the cost of care. In many cases, patients don’t know what they’ll owe until the bill arrives. Even with insurance, there are copays, deductibles, and confusing out-of-network charges. If you’re uninsured, the price of a simple visit can feel out of reach. eClinics uses a pay-per-consult model. No premiums, no copays – even no subscriptions. Prices are clearly listed upfront. You only pay for your consult, and nothing is hidden.

    Insurance adds another layer of complexity. Patients often feel trapped in narrow provider networks. Even when covered, they struggle to find a doctor who’s available soon. If you’re out-of-network or without coverage, your options can feel limited. eclinics removes that barrier. Anyone can use it—whether they have insurance or not. There’s no paperwork, no prior authorization, and no gatekeeping.

    Many people also turn to eClinics when they want a second opinion. That could mean reviewing a diagnosis, understanding a treatment plan, or getting another perspective before deciding on surgery. Traditionally, getting a second opinion means travel, long delays, or high specialist fees. eclinics makes it possible to consult with doctors and specialists from across the country, or even internationally, without leaving your home.

    Perhaps the most important issue is that many patients don’t feel heard. Appointments feel rushed. Doctors are overloaded. People walk out with more questions than they came in with. eClinics is designed to be more focused. You choose the provider. You speak directly with a medical professional who takes the time to listen, understand your concerns, and guides you.

    The current healthcare system makes basic care difficult to access. eClinics offers a simpler path. No referrals. No networks. No fine print. Just straightforward access to real medical expertise, priced clearly and delivered on your terms.

    If you’re uninsured, managing a chronic condition, traveling, or just tired of waiting weeks for answers, eclinics gives you a better option. It doesn’t replace your primary care provider. It gives you more control and more flexibility when it matters most.

    Because taking care of your health shouldn’t be complicated. And it shouldn’t depend on what insurance card you carry.

  • Introducing CarePlus: A Platform Transforming Preventative Screening in Primary Care

    What is CarePlus?

    CarePlus is a technology platform designed to embed preventative health screenings directly into the primary care office workflow. It integrates digital diagnostic devices and patient-friendly questionnaires, enabling medical assistants and PCP staff to perform screenings during routine visits. Data collected, ranging from questionnaire responses to imaging results, is securely transmitted to remote specialists for expert review. The platform further employs algorithmic risk stratification and longitudinal data analysis to support ongoing patient management and timely referrals.

    What Impact Does CarePlus Bring to Healthcare? Who Does It Help?

    CarePlus addresses critical gaps in current healthcare delivery by making preventative screenings more accessible, timely, and efficient. Its impact includes:

    • For Payers and Health Systems: Early identification and management of high-risk patients reduce downstream expenditures and support population health goals through data-driven insights.
    • For Patients: Earlier detection of chronic conditions reduces morbidity and prevents costly complications, improving quality of life. Screenings integrated into routine visits lower barriers such as time, cost, and access to specialists.
    • For Primary Care Providers (PCPs): CarePlus expands clinical capabilities, allowing PCPs to deliver more comprehensive care and receive reimbursement for new services, without significant workflow disruption.
    • For Specialists: Remote interpretation of screening data optimizes specialist time by focusing on clinically significant cases referred through the platform.

    CarePlus and Diabetic Retinopathy Screening: A Use Case

    Diabetic retinopathy (DR) affects over 38 million Americans with diabetes or prediabetes, yet many patients miss annual eye exams, leading to preventable vision loss. CarePlus addresses this by deploying a digital fundoscope within the PCP office, operated by trained staff during routine checkups.

    • Retinal images captured are securely transmitted to a network of remote ophthalmologists who grade the images based on standardized criteria.
    • Patients flagged as at-risk are referred promptly for specialist intervention.
    • Those without immediate risk are scheduled for re-evaluation during their next annual screening.
    • The platform can employ algorithmic analysis and longitudinal tracking to monitor changes over time, ensuring continuous patient surveillance and proactive care management.

    This approach effectively closes the gap between primary care and specialty ophthalmology, improving screening rates and enabling early intervention.

    Extending CarePlus to Other High-Impact Screening Areas

    The CarePlus model, integrating onsite screening tools, remote specialist review, and algorithmic patient monitoring is scalable and adaptable to multiple domains with large patient populations:

    • Mental Health: Questionnaires such as PHQ-9 and GAD-7 administered at the PCP office, with results evaluated remotely to identify depression and anxiety early.
    • Peripheral Artery Disease: ABI testing performed onsite with results digitally reviewed to prevent vascular complications.
    • Chronic Kidney Disease: Lab data integrated with algorithmic alerts for early nephrology referral.
    • Cognitive Impairment: Standardized cognitive assessments facilitating early dementia diagnosis.
    • Pulmonary Function: Simplified spirometry used to identify and monitor COPD and asthma.

    Each use case leverages the same principles of embedding screening into routine primary care visits, remote expert interpretation, and data-driven patient management, targeting conditions with significant public health burden.

    CarePlus is positioned to transform preventative care by operationalizing technology and clinical expertise where it matters most: the primary care office.

    Join Us in Shaping the Future of Preventative Health

    Are you a physician, healthcare operator, or subject matter expert with insight into diagnostics, primary care workflows, or health equity?
    HealthOcta is building an expert advisory group to help us define, refine, and expand our CarePlus offerings. Your experience can directly influence scalable solutions that improve outcomes for millions.

    To express interest, email us at [email protected]



  • Why Rethinking Health Insurance Could Lead to Better Care, and More Control

    The average American spends more than $7,000 a year on health insurance premiums. And still, when they need a doctor, they wait. They chase referrals. They wrestle with claim forms and surprise bills. And for many, that’s when they even have insurance. For the uninsured or underinsured, navigating the system can feel impossible.

    The deeper problem isn’t just cost. It’s that the entire system is built around sick care, not wellness care. The default model waits for you to get ill, then decides what level of support you qualify for. Until then, you’re mostly on your own.

    But what if that model no longer makes sense? What if you’re healthy, and you just want access to guidance—fast, clear, and on your terms?

    That’s where the pairing of a high-deductible insurance plan with eClinics by HealthOcta begins to look not just viable, but smart.

    The truth about “just in case” insurance

    More people are shifting toward high-deductible health plans (HDHPs). These offer lower monthly premiums, but come with higher out-of-pocket costs if something serious happens. They’re designed to be safety nets, not doorways to everyday care.

    And that’s the tradeoff: you save on premiums, but you’re largely paying out of pocket for anything short of an emergency. So even insured patients often hesitate to get help when they need it. They delay care. They guess their way through symptoms. They avoid follow-ups. Not because they want to—but because they can’t justify the time, cost, or hassle.

    The result: care gets pushed further away from the people who actually want to take their health seriously.

    Why eClinics fits the future of care

    eClinics by HealthOcta is being built for exactly this gap.

    It gives patients fast, direct access to licensed medical professionals—without insurance, without referrals, and without waiting weeks. You search for a doctor, review their profile, and book a consultation. The pricing is listed clearly. You pay once, per consult. No hidden bills. No approvals. No confusion.

    If you’re dealing with a chronic condition, want a second opinion, or just need quick guidance on symptoms or medications, eClinics lets you take action immediately. And it works whether you’re at home, on the road, or overseas.

    This isn’t concierge care for the elite. It’s practical care for people who want clarity—without getting stuck in a loop of paperwork and delays.

    Healthy people still need care

    There’s a growing category of patients who aren’t in crisis—but they care deeply about their health. They want to talk to a doctor about long-term prevention, not just illness. They want to know if their treatment plan makes sense. They want to understand how to manage a chronic condition without feeling rushed or lost in the shuffle.

    For these people, the traditional system often falls short. Insurance doesn’t reward them for being proactive. It complicates basic access. And it limits their ability to speak with the right experts when they actually want to.

    eClinics flips that experience. It gives patients control. If you’re healthy, a high-deductible plan handles the rare but expensive emergencies. eClinics handles everything else, routine concerns, long-term management, second opinions, and everyday questions. It’s a model built around staying well, not just reacting when things go wrong.

    A smarter pairing: high-deductible + eClinics

    It’s time to rethink how we structure access to care. Not just in response to what’s broken, but in support of what’s possible.

    For many, that starts with ditching overpriced, restrictive insurance plans that don’t match how they live. Instead, a high-deductible plan serves as a financial fallback. eClinics becomes the front door, the practical, immediate, trusted option for 90% of real-world health needs.

    You don’t wait. You don’t guess. You don’t get buried in paperwork. You just get care.

    The bottom line is this: if you’re relatively healthy and want to take control of your health—not just your insurance—then this model works. It’s already working for people who value time, transparency, and flexibility over bureaucracy.

    And as more patients step outside the old system, they’re discovering something simple:
    You don’t need to be sick to deserve care. You just need a system that listens.

    That’s what eClinics is being built to be.

  • Working smarter, not harder: how HealthOcta is taking a tech-led, people-first approach to healthcare

    Healthcare has a technology problem, but not in the way people think.

    There’s no shortage of apps, portals, or EMRs. What’s missing is technology that makes healthcare more human, not more complicated. At HealthOcta, we’ve been asking one question from the start: How can we reduce friction between patients, providers, and quality care?

    The answer isn’t more layers of software. It’s designing the right tools to serve real people, starting where care actually happens: at the point of need.

    That’s why we built VideoConsults, CarePlus, and eClinics—three platforms, one vision. Each tackles a broken part of healthcare and replaces it with something that just works.

    VideoConsults: real-time access to sub-speciality care, wherever you are

    VideoConsults gives emergency rooms, ACOs, assisted living facilities, and urgent care centers on-demand access to remote subspecialists. When a critical patient arrives and an expert’s input is needed fast, clinicians can instantly connect with a licensed specialist who can assess the case and guide next steps.

    This eliminates unnecessary patient transfers due to lack of in-house expertise. Hospitalists and ER physicians can act faster, with more confidence, knowing they have a world of expertise at their fingertips, right when it matters most.

    CarePlus: embedding preventative care inside the primary care office

    Most health conditions don’t go from fine to critical overnight. But the system rarely catches early warning signs because screenings either don’t happen or aren’t part of routine care.

    CarePlus is changing that. We built it to let primary care physicians offer specialist-grade screenings—right from their office. It started with diabetic retinopathy. Using smart imaging devices and cloud-based ophthalmology reviews, PCPs can now detect vision-threatening conditions during an annual checkup.

    And this is just the beginning. With the same model, CarePlus can support:

    • mental health screenings (PHQ-9, GAD-7),
    • pulmonary function tests,
    • cardiac risk stratification,
    • chronic kidney disease detection,
    • cognitive assessments for aging patients.
    • skin cancer screenings
    • and much more…

    The opportunity is huge, and we’re actively inviting specialists, clinical researchers, and diagnostic innovators to help expand what’s possible. Preventative care should be routine, not reactive. CarePlus helps make that true.

    eClinics: on-demand care, without the insurance maze

    For patients, one of the most frustrating parts of the system is the delay: long wait times, referrals, unclear costs, and insurance-based restrictions. For providers, it’s burnout—rising admin loads and loss of autonomy.

    eClinics gives both sides another option.

    It’s a platform where licensed medical professionals can offer direct-to-patient consultations—with transparent pricing, no referrals, and complete scheduling control. Patients use eClinics for second opinions, chronic condition guidance, general medical advice, or anything in between. Whether they’re insured or not, they can access expert care faster, more affordably, and with no guesswork.

    For doctors, eClinics is a way to practice medicine on their terms, free from rigid institutional constraints. It’s flexible, self-managed, and built for sustainability.

    The bigger picture: a healthcare system that actually works

    Together, these platforms form a new kind of healthcare stack, one that values access, prevention, speed, and dignity.

    • VideoConsults supports clinical decisions where specialty care isn’t always present.
    • CarePlus turns the PCP visit into a proactive screening event, not just a box to check.
    • eClinics puts patients back in control of their care journey, without bureaucracy in the way.

    These aren’t point solutions. They’re infrastructure for a future where patients don’t need to be sick to deserve care, and providers don’t need to burn out to make a difference.

    We’re building the tools we believe healthcare should have had all along.

    If you’re a clinician, technologist, or health system leader looking to help solve real-world problems, we’d love to hear from you. We’re constantly seeking knowledgeable advisors and guides to help us shape our vision and the future of healthcare.

    Because smart technology isn’t about replacing people. It’s about letting them do what they do best.

  • What are the benefits of referral marketing techniques?

    PromoEngine by connectchief promotes referral marketing techniques over traditional online marketing approaches like ads, email newletters or social media marketing. Get started with connectchief for free to find out how well it works for your business

    Here are some of the advantages of Referral marketing over traditional or online ads?

    Trust: Referral marketing is built on the trust of personal recommendations from satisfied customers, making it more credible and trustworthy than online advertising.

    Cost-effective: Referral marketing is often cheaper than paid online advertising.

    Targeted audience: With referral marketing, the target audience is more likely to be interested in the product or service being offered.

    Higher conversion rates: Referral marketing typically leads to higher conversion rates, as the people being referred are already pre-qualified and interested in the product or service.

    Better customer retention: Referral marketing often leads to better customer retention, as referred customers tend to be more loyal to the brand.

    Viral potential: Referral marketing has the potential to spread quickly through word of mouth, leading to a wider reach and increased brand exposure.