Direct Dermatology, Co-founder and CEO<\/em><\/p>\n For patients, it means access to the best dermatologists and with a degree of convenience that\u2019s not usually associated with the US healthcare system. While Wong acknowledges that telehealth solutions aren\u2019t new, he believes the field of dermatology was primed for disruption once employers and health plans starting hopping onboard in substantial numbers. And it doesn\u2019t hurt that the Direct Dermatology model works. \u201cWe are able to manage more than 92% of our cases completely online,\u201d he reports\u2014and that, too, is good for the dermatology specialty. \u201cAs the number of people using telehealth increases, the wait time to see doctors in person will decrease.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider admin_label=”Divider” color=”#98c137″ show_divider=”on” divider_style=”dashed” divider_position=”top” hide_on_mobile=”on”] [\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/media.mmm-online.com\/images\/2014\/12\/29\/davidwongdirectdermatology_705284_705285.jpg\")
One of healthcare\u2019s biggest challenges is providing patients with timely access to care, so it bothered Wong that some would be forced to wait for months before seeing a dermatologist. \u201cThese access problems diminish quality of care,\u201d he says. \u201cMelanoma is deadly and diagnosing it early can be the difference between life and death.\u201d So in the age of smartphones with high-quality cameras, Wong did something about it: He co-founded Direct Dermatology, a telehealth company that taps top-notch dermatologists to treat patients from afar. \u201cWe knew we could leverage technology to get accurate diagnosis and treatment recommendations,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n