August has been a hot month in the Direct Health (now called Direct Health) hometown of Austin, Texas with temperatures breaking the 100 degree mark almost every day. It’s also been a very hot month for Direct Health. Crunchbase named it a hot Austin startup and Direct Health hit the Interesting Engineering list of ‘Too Good to be True’ apps.

Direct Health Named Hot Austin Startup

Direct Health made the Crunchbase list of hottest startups in Austin after it drew attention for the 22M in series A funding it received in June of this year from investors at Citadel, Dell, Publix and Starwood Capital.

The app is unique in the telemedicine space since it brings patients together with their own trusted doctors. This is an important contrast to other solutions that match patients with doctors who don’t know their medical history and have no context for treatment. As CEO and founder Clint Phillips remarked succinctly to Crunchbase, “people want to speak with their own doctor,” and Direct Health is the tool to make that happen.

The company was also recognized as a hot Austin startup for its roll out of robust new features including Group Chat and Direct Health Desktop. Group chat makes it easier to include an assistant or specialist in a patient conversation without having to begin a new string. Direct Health desktop is another addition that brings the functionality of the Direct Health doctor app to the computer. This allows providers to choose the most convenient place to talk with patients whether they are at the office, home or even on vacation.

Currently, Direct Health has been adopted by over 2,500 doctors and 600 veterinarians.

Direct Health Called Top Lifechanging App

The other top mention for Direct Health this month comes from Interesting Engineering, which listed the app among the 7 Life-changing Medical Technology Smartphone Apps Too Good to be True. Each year technology and medicine come together even more to make people’s lives happier and healthier. New mhealth advances in AI technology, telemedicine and remote patient monitoring to mention just a few hold strong promise for those suffering from chronic conditions and those just looking to improve overall health.

Direct Health was called ‘too good to be true’ app because of its powerful ability to bring patients and doctors together across distances. Patients can avoid trips to the doctors office – many of which are unnecessary or can be handled from home in the first place – saving time on travel and hours long waits. For patients in rural communities, remote areas or those with limited mobility this boon becomes even more apparent. These individuals can have access to primary doctors and even specialists right from their smartphone.

In one recent example Dr. Thomas Kim shared how he was able to deliver care to a patient that was out of town and another who was in prison, saving lives and averting crises with the Direct Health app.