Doctor on Demand Review: Pros, Cons, Pricing and More Details

Telemedicine was once a novel concept, but not anymore. After the Covid-19 pandemic, telemedicine has become hugely popular not only in the US but all over the world. About 37% of the US adult population started using telemedicine in 2021. That number has risen to almost 39% in 2023.

Of course, visiting a doctor in person is always a better idea. However, sometimes, you may just need a medical consultation without an emergency. Or, you may not want to wait for a week or more before you get an in-person appointment with your doctor. Or you may not have the time or inclination to take a long ride to the city and wait in the waiting room for something minor like a cold.

In such cases, using the telemedicine services could be a good idea. Even I was apprehensive at first. But after my first telemedicine experience for a persistent headache, I can say it is worth it when you may want an immediate consultation without having to go through the grind of getting an appointment.

I used the online platform Doctor on Demand a couple of times, and I must say, it is worth considering. However, how do you know whether it is right for you? Will you get the services you need when the need arises? Let us find out.

About Doctor on Demand

Doctor on Demand was set up about a decade back. It was founded by Dr. Phil McGraw in 2013, with the help of his son Jay and Adam Jackson, his business partner. They initially set up the platform to ensure everyone had access to healthcare as much as possible- primarily preventive and chronic care.

Patients often had to wait for weeks to get a consultation. The delay often resulted in aggravated symptoms. Access to healthcare was another issue- mainly if they lived in a remote area. The founders wanted to bridge the gap to decrease the load on the healthcare system.

In 2021, Doctor on Demand expanded and acquired a platform exclusively providing healthcare for the LGBTQIA+ community called Included Health. Since then, the platform is also known as “Doctor on Demand by Included Health”.

Although the platform started as a consultation service for physical ailments, it has grown since then. It now boasts an excellent line-up of psychologists and psychiatrists who provide excellent mental health care and therapy as well.

It caters to people from diverse backgrounds from different races and ethnicities. And it also takes special care to address the needs of the LBGTQIA+ community.

Doctor on Demand Therapy Review

We will be focusing more on the mental healthcare services of Doctor on Demand. It also has excellent options for physical ailments. However, at the very onset, it should be mentioned that the platform is not for significant symptoms like chest pain, broken bones, or breathing problems. In such cases, it is best to take the patient to the nearest ER.

Here is all you need to know about Doctor on Demand.

1. How Does the Platform Work?

The Doctor on Demand website is quite easy to navigate. Once you open the Home page, you can click on ‘Sign In’ if you already have an account. Or, you could click on “See a Doctor now.” In this case, you will be redirected to a page that asks you questions to detect the kind of help you need.

Alternatively, you can click on the section “What We Treat” on the top of the page. This will lead to a dropdown menu. You can choose from “Urgent Care”, “Preventive Health”, “Mental Health” and “Chronic Care”.

Once you navigate the various sections, you will get links to various ailments the platform treats. For example, you will get options for physical ailments like chronic health conditions, coughs and colds, skin conditions or rashes, migraine, seasonal allergies, flu symptoms, and mental health conditions.

Under mental health conditions, you will get links for anxiety, depression, postpartum, trauma and loss, relationships and screenings, among others.

However, you will mostly get an overview of the various services in these sections. You cannot see the bios of any doctors or therapists from here. You will have to sign up for that. To do that, visit the Home page and click “Start a Virtual Visit.”

Only those above the age of 18 can sign up for the platform. First, You must fill out a form with fundamental questions about yourself. Choose between medical care and mental health options.

You will have to fill out a small questionnaire in each section. However, this is not a diagnostic tool. It is an assessment that lets the platform analyze your needs better. Your responses are used to suggest the best possible match for you. However, over 61% of users have said it was easy to find a doctor or therapist on Doctor on Demand and that they found it better than most other platforms.

Once you have signed up and created your profile, you can go back and see upcoming appointments and your payment information and check other FAQs.

The platform also has an app that you can access from the Google Play Store or Apple Store, and that is pretty simple to navigate as well. Once you sign in, you can access your profile from any device.

2. Pricing and Affordability

Without insurance, the pricing on Doctor on Demand can be a bit too much for some.

The platform has options for 25-minute consultation and 50-minute consultations.

The platform charges $129 for a 25-minute session, and $179 for a 50-minute consultation for therapy for mental health ailments.

For psychiatry consultation, the platform charges $299 for an initial 45-minute consultation and $129 for a 15-minute follow-up.

For any ailment under preventive care, the charges are $75 for a 15-minute session. Likewise, for chronic care, you have to pay $75 for a 50-minute session. For urgent care, the prices are determined based on the urgency and the doctor you are consulting.

3. Accessibility

The Doctor on Demand platform is designed effectively, and it is pretty easy to navigate. Users can also log into their account from any platform. The platform is also a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community.

However, once you start your sessions, you will only be able to attend them via video call. There is no way to communicate with your therapist via any other method. Hence, if you are in a setting where you do not want anyone to know who you are talking to, then you’ll have to reschedule your appointment.

Text messaging is not an option, and you cannot shut down the video and continue the conversation. However, according to my experience, the therapists were on time for every call, and they asked if I had followed their instructions in the meantime.

The website does have a lot of doctors on its website, and most of the users have claimed on various surveys that they have been happy with the level of consultation they have received on this platform.

Moreover, it is also easy to switch your doctor and therapist quite easily on the platform. If, for some reason, you don’t want to continue with your current doctor or therapist, simply choose someone else while booking your next appointment.

4. Privacy

Doctor on Demand is very particular about safeguarding the privacy of their users. All video calls are private, and nothing is recorded or saved on the platform. The therapists and doctors are also obliged not to share the content of the conversation with any third party.

The website follows HIPAA protocols, and any medication prescribed by the doctors is sent directly to a pharmacy of the patient’s choice. However, any particular medication that qualifies as narcotics is not recommended by the doctors on the platform. No one can gain to gain any information on the users.

The platform would only share such information with people from the authority in case of any investigation for homicide or suicide. Users can be assured of their privacy while using this platform.

5. Available Treatments

Doctor on Demand offers solutions for preventive health, chronic care, mental health, and urgent care. Hence, you can find doctors for common ailments like colds, flu, migraine and therapists for mental health.

As mentioned earlier, you will have to see a doctor in person for severe problems like bone injury, chest pain or lung congestion.

In the same way, the platform cannot help you in serious cases of mental health issues like very high PTSD, schizophrenia, manic episodes or psychosis.

However, the doctors and therapists are all licensed, and you can find matches for your specific needs. Based on the questionnaire you fill up, the platform will show you the available doctors and therapists best suited to treat your ailments. You can go through the bio and choose someone whose bio you resonate with.

I tried Doctor on Demand as I was suffering from immense anxiety. My therapist was very kind, and their approach helped me look at my life from another direction. I can manage my anxiety much better now, thanks to some of the techniques I regularly practice whenever I feel anxious and stressed.

6. Pros and Cons

Weighing in the pros and cons of Doctor on Demand will help you decide whether you want to opt for it.

Who is Doctor on Demand Suitable for?

Doctor on Demand is suitable for anyone who wants to get a consultation for physical or mental ailments immediately. However, it is only suitable for non-emergency and consultation cases where the patient’s life is not in any danger.

It is an excellent platform for chronic and preventive care. You can also contact a doctor if you need medical advice and, when suggested, see a doctor in person.

The platform is inclusive and serves patients from diverse backgrounds, especially the LGBTQIA+ community. The platform, however, can only be used by those over 18 years of age. The platform tries to match you with a doctor from your location. However, since all consultations are via video call, distance is not an issue. So, this platform can be really useful if you stay somewhere remote and need a consultation.

Final Verdict

Doctor on Demand is definitely worth trying if you need help promptly with any mental or physical health issue, as long as it is not life-threatening. I had signed up for both mental health and physical health ailments to check the platform, and in both cases, I was quite happy with my doctors.

The platform gives you full liberty to choose your doctors and therapists. And you can change them if you want. Although, at times, you could have to wait to get an appointment with your preferred doctor. The sessions are all via video call, and that could be an issue for some.

I found the website and app easy to navigate as they have everything under separate headers. At times, the various sections of the website have too much information, which can be overwhelming. However, the final verdict is that the platform delivers where it matters, and you can get pretty good advice if you need it urgently or from a remote location.