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If you’ve ever dreaded the wait in the doctor’s office more than the actual appointment, you might find the increased availability of telemedicine services like Doctor on Demand pretty darn appealing.
Telemedicine isn’t always the best option, of course. If you have, say, a head injury, serious wound, or chest pain, you’ll want to get immediate medical attention. That being said, if your concern is not urgent, virtual healthcare platforms can be a good option for a range of both physical and mental health symptoms.
Searching for a psychiatrist, psychologist, or therapist but want to skip both the trip to the office and the waiting room? Want to get that rash checked out without driving across town? The telemedicine platform Doctor on Demand may be worth considering for your next appointment.
Read on to get the details about Doctor on Demand, including how the service works, issues treated, costs, and more.
Doctor on Demand aims to improve access to affordable, patient-first healthcare.
The service takes a combined approach to virtual healthcare by connecting you with a full range of certified, experienced medical and mental health care professionals. You can access care over your computer or via the smartphone or tablet app.
You can use this platform for help with a variety of conditions, including:
- chronic health conditions
- coughs and colds
- rashes or skin conditions
- flu symptoms
- migraine
- seasonal allergies
- mental health conditions
You can also use Doctor on Demand for preventive health and wellness checkups.
If you’re interested in therapy or psychiatry services but not sure exactly what kind of support you need, Doctor on Demand can help with that, too. Their free assessment helps screen for anxiety and depression before you even sign up. This can give you a better understanding of the level of distress you’re dealing with daily.
Although the assessment only asks questions about depression and anxiety, Doctor on Demand does offer support for plenty of other mental health symptoms and conditions, too. These include bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), insomnia, and substance use disorders.
Pros
- Your insurance might cover the cost.
- You can schedule appointments on any day of the week.
- You can choose your own therapist or psychiatrist based on their qualifications and area of expertise.
- Available professionals have a range of specialties.
- Mental health support is available for children, too.
- You can work with a full care team — primary care doctor, therapist, and psychiatrist — to create a treatment plan that’s right for you.
Cons
- Without insurance, you might end up paying more for a half-hour teletherapy visit than you’d pay for an hour of in-person therapy.
- You may need to wait a few days for an appointment.
- Depending on your location, you may only have a few therapists to choose from.
- The service can’t treat mental health crises or severe mental health symptoms. They may recommend in-person treatment for manic episodes, schizophrenia, thoughts of suicide, or serious symptoms of psychosis.
- You can’t get a prescription for stimulants or benzodiazepines.
You can get started using Doctor on Demand in two ways:
- downloading the app from Google Play or the App Store
- accessing the patient platform from your computer — FYI, you’ll need to use Google Chrome and have an active webcam and microphone
Once you make an account, you can fill out your health history and begin browsing healthcare professionals who provide treatment in your state.
Choose a professional
You can begin your search for the right healthcare professional by browsing detailed profiles of psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, psychiatrists, and primary care physicians.
Doctor on Demand’s therapists and psychiatrists all have current licenses to provide therapy, plus plenty of experience treating different mental health concerns and symptoms.
Review options for therapy, if applicable
Maybe you know you’d like to try a specific type of therapy, like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Or maybe you have a specific concern you’d like help with, such as burnout.
Many therapists specialize in treating a few specific issues, though the types of therapy offered will vary, depending on the therapists available in your state.
Just a few examples of approaches offered include:
- mindfulness-based stress reduction
- emotional support during treatment for cancer or other life threatening illnesses
- anger management
- CBT
- acceptance and commitment therapy
- motivational interviewing
Get medication support, if applicable
If you’re interested in trying medication to treat mental health symptoms, psychiatrists at Doctor on Demand can offer support with finding the right treatment plan.
While Doctor on Demand’s psychiatrists can prescribe a number of psychiatric medications, including antidepressants and mood stabilizers, they can’t prescribe benzodiazepines, stimulant medications, and other controlled substances.
Urgent Care
- Price: $75 for a 15-minute appointment
With Doctor on Demand, urgent care visits are available around the clock. You can request an appointment from the app or online portal to treat conditions such as:
- cold and flu, including fever, nausea, vomiting, and coughs
- skin conditions, including acne, hives, allergies, and rashes
- women’s health, including yeast infections, urinary tract infections (UTIs), and fatigue
- men’s health, including erectile dysfunction, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and stress management
- allergies, including seasonal allergies, EpiPen refills, and allergic sinusitis
- headaches, including tension headaches and sinus headaches
- migraine
Doctor on Demand can’t treat serious conditions, including:
- broken bones
- chest pain
- loss of consciousness
- traumatic brain or spinal cord injury
The healthcare professionals can also order prescriptions for you.
Mental Health
- Price: $129 for a 25-minute therapy consultation or $179 for a 50-minute therapy consultation. Doctor on Demand doesn’t specify how much follow-up therapy appointments cost. Psychiatry appointments cost $299 for a 45-minute initial consultation, then $129 for 15-minute follow-ups.
Doctor on Demand mental health visits include services from qualified psychologists, therapists, and psychiatrists. You’ll need to schedule a visit from the app or online portal, and you may need to wait for a week or longer for your spot.
Mental health visits can help with the following conditions:
- anxiety
- depression
- PTSD
- grief and loss
- stress
- trauma
- relationships
- postpartum depression
Although a psychiatrist can prescribe medications, they can’t write prescriptions for controlled substances such as codeine oxycodone.
Preventive Care
- Price: $75 for a 15-minute appointment
Preventive care visits can help you with self-care and day-to-day health and wellness. You’ll need to schedule a visit from the app or online portal, and waiting times vary.
A preventive health appointment can help with and treat conditions such as:
- smoking cessation
- emotional health
- lifestyle counseling
- childhood development counseling
- vitamin deficiencies
- pediatric issues
- weight management
- hormone replacement counseling
- heart health
- prediabetes screening
- medication management
The healthcare professionals can prescribe medications for you, providing they aren’t controlled substances.
Chronic Care
- Price: $75 for a 50-minute appointment
Managing a chronic health condition can feel overwhelming, but Doctor on Demand aims to make it easy. They can provide treatment programs and plans to help you manage specific health issues.
Chronic care visits can help with the following:
- asthma, including exercise tolerance, allergy testing, and inflammation
- high cholesterol, including diabetes management, exercise counseling, and lab screenings
- high blood pressure, including diet and nutrition, metabolic syndrome, and stress management
- weight management, including diet and nutrition, exercise counseling, and weight loss advice
- diabetes, including kidney health, depression, and heart health
- thyroid conditions, including thyroid function screening, heart palpitations, weight gain, and weight loss
The healthcare professionals can order prescriptions to be delivered to the pharmacy of your choice.
This service doesn’t offer a subscription plan, so you’ll pay for each virtual visit.
Here’s a breakdown of what each type of appointment costs, before insurance.
To connect with a psychologist, you’ll pay:
- $129 for a 25-minute consultation
- $179 for a 50-minute consultation
To connect with a psychiatrist, you’ll pay:
- $299 for your initial consultation of 45 minutes
- $129 for a 15-minute follow-up appointment
To connect with a doctor or other medical professional, you’ll pay $75 for a 15-minute consultation.
Doctor on Demand does accept a number of insurance plans.
You can add your plan when you register to see if your insurance covers Doctor on Demand’s services. Once you create an account and sign in, you can visit the “Insurance” section in your account information to check whether your benefits apply.
The total cost of services will vary, based on your specific benefits and copay, so you’ll want to make sure you add this information before scheduling an appointment.
You’ll be able to review the total cost of an appointment after your benefits before you schedule it.
In general, telemedicine options care can do a lot of good.
For one thing, a
Learn more about affordable therapy options.
What do reviewers have to say?
People using Doctor on Demand give the service high ratings.
- On the App Store, Doctor on Demand earns an average of 4.9 stars from over 102,000 reviewers.
- On Google Play, Doctor on Demand earns an average of 4.8 stars from over 50,600 reviewers.
A few reviewers report:
- technical issues, including difficulty scheduling an appointment
- long delays when waiting for an appointment or reaching out to Customer Support
- problems with their prescription being sent to the pharmacy
- therapists who cancelled appointments without notice
Others note that you can’t directly contact your care team outside of scheduling an appointment. They say this makes it extremely difficult to ask a question about your medication, request a refill, or share new symptoms.
By and large, though, most people find the service helpful. Many reviewers describe their therapists and psychiatrists as patient, professional, and supportive. A few people say they’ve received better care from this app than they have from in-person providers.
Doctor on Demand may be a good option for basic medical care.
They can also provide short-term professional support with:
- depression
- anxiety or panic disorder
- home or workplace stress
- insomnia, fatigue, and other sleep issues
- bipolar disorder
- grief or loss
- trauma or abuse recovery
- PTSD
- postpartum depression or anxiety
- pregnancy loss
- relationship-related stress or conflict
Therapists can also help you identify key signs and symptoms of mental health conditions like anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, or PTSD and explore next steps toward getting support.
Doctor on Demand offers shorter therapy sessions, with no option to communicate with your therapist between appointments. You can keep scheduling appointments with the same therapist, but weekly sessions aren’t always a guarantee. As a result, this service may not be the best option when your therapy goals involve:
- scheduling regular weekly sessions at the same time
- unpacking long-standing mental health symptoms or emotional distress
- working through childhood trauma or attachment issues
- navigating ongoing relationship challenges (Doctor on Demand’s therapists can help you navigate relationship issues, but don’t offer couples counseling)
It’s also worth keeping in mind that therapist availability may be limited in some areas. This can make it harder to find a therapist you really connect with. If you don’t feel completely comfortable with your therapist, you may not trust them enough to truly open up, which can have a big impact on therapy’s success.
Experiencing a mental health crisis?
Just as you wouldn’t use telemedicine for serious injuries, Doctor on Demand’s therapy and psychiatry services can’t provide the right kind of support for mental health emergencies.
If you’re thinking about suicide, crisis helplines can offer compassionate, in-the-moment support and connect you with other helpful resources.
- Prefer to text? Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a counselor at the Crisis Text Line.
- Prefer to talk? Call 800-273-8255 to get support from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Supporting someone in a crisis? Here’s what to know.
Doctor on Demand | PlushCare | Teladoc | |
---|---|---|---|
Pricing | $75 to $299, depending on the type of appointment | without insurance, costs are $129 per visit and an additional $99 annual or $14.99 monthly membership fee | $75 per general medicine visit without insurance |
Services offered | urgent care, mental health, preventive care, and chronic care | online doctor, prescriptions, urgent care, mental health, and therapy services | primary care, pediatrics, mental health, dermatology, nutrition, and sexual health |
Customer ratings | 2.3 stars | 4.4 stars | 4.1 stars |
Insurance | accepts various insurance plans; you can check your coverage when you register | accepts the copays of most Blue Cross Blue Shield, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, and United Health Care PPO plans; also accepts HSA and FSA | accepts insurance, HSA, FSA, and HRA |
To get started, you can either go to the Doctor on Demand website or download the Android or Apple app. First, you’ll need to register by following the prompts to create a password and enter basic information like your name, birth date, and email address.
Next, you’ll need to add details like your phone number and insurance provider to check if it’s in-network. The final step is to see if your employer provides access to Doctor on Demand services. After completing these steps, you’ll have access to the member portal.
Once you’re in the portal, you can browse through therapists’ and doctors’ bios and schedule an appointment with them. Before booking, you’ll need to complete an assessment, which takes around 5 minutes to complete, and make a payment.
It’s worth noting that you may have to wait for a week or longer for a therapist appointment. However, you can book appointments with doctors as soon as you sign up.
Does Doctor on Demand take Medicaid?
Doctor on Demand doesn’t specifically state whether or not they accept Medicaid.
Medicaid varies by state, so contact your local Medicaid office to inquire about coverage.
Can Doctor on Demand give referrals?
Yes, Doctor on Demand provides in-network referrals and care coordination. If you need to see a specific doctor or specialist, the platform aims to provide seamless care without any hassle.
What is Doctor on Demand’s cancellation policy?
You can cancel your account and end your registration at any time and for any reason by emailing support@includedhealth.com.
In need of virtual mental health support from experienced professionals? Doctor on Demand may provide just the type of support you’re hoping to find. Since they also treat various health conditions, you even have the option to schedule urgent and preventive care appointments on one platform.
At the end of the day, online therapy may not work for everyone, but a vast majority of reviewers consider Doctor on Demand a good solution for their mental health needs. Get started with Doctor on Demand.
Crystal Raypole writes for Healthline and Psych Central. Her fields of interest include Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health, along with books, books, and more books. In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues. She lives in Washington with her son and a lovably recalcitrant cat.