Searching for answers on the Internet is almost like a habit for us, millennials.
So I’m sure we can all relate to this when we Google for cures for a persistent headache or for a mysterious rash on your neck:
Well, then why can’t we just go see a doctor?
For most of us, we think self-medicating saves us time and money.
A visit to the nearby polyclinic costs about $10, but the wait for your turn could take hours!
While a trip to a private clinic can take less than half an hour, it can easily set you back anywhere between $30 to $60.
Also, some conditions you have may require an appointment with a specialist or may need you to seek multiple opinions from different medical professionals.
Anyway, it’s definitely not wallet-friendly.
So when I found out that there’s an online platform for Singaporeans to get advice for their medical concerns – for FREE – I decided to check it out.
No More Feeling Paiseh – Ask Medical Questions For FREE
Doctorxdentist.com (DxD) is a platform with a team of contributing doctor experts who answer all your health questions, for free.
It is currently the largest independent medical portal in Singapore that sees two million visitors each year, and it has 1,055 doctors covering 29 specialities on board.
They claim to help us “make better health decisions by sharing personal insights from trusted doctors” on our feed.
I signed up as a user with my Facebook account and indicated my interests.
After completing my registration, I decided to explore the four tabs on the menu bar that let me ‘Ask Doctors’, ‘Find Doctors’, ‘Browse Treatments’, and ‘Get Quotes’.
The website is easy to navigate and information is plentiful.
I found answers ranging from abortion in Singapore to mole removal via laser treatment and they were elaborate, informative, and thoughtful.
Users can also upload images of their medical issues along with their queries.
The beauty of the platform, besides it being free and functional, is that the questions are open to any doctor to answer.
Getting multiple opinions from specialists is now as easy as typing out your question.
Also, most of us tend to feel either daunted or embarrassed to ask doctors and specialists deeper questions about our medical problems.
So seeing so many questions getting answered actually gives me a bit of confidence to participate in the forum.
In fact, 99.7% of questions are answered within 24 to 48 hours, according to DxD’s guide.
You can also look forward to receiving a diverse range of opinions too, like this question about a sprained wrist that received answers from three doctors from different specialisations.
The cherry on top is that you don’t have to even step out of your house or spend a single cent to get help from medical professionals – great for busy, young working adults like me.
Get Personalised Medical Advice Within 24 Hours – No Strings Attached
This isn’t to say that online resources like WebMD, Wikipedia, and Healthline to name a few, are not reliable.
Information from these places are more generic and are better as references or education materials for medical conditions.
For example, when I searched ‘eye health’ on WebMD, I’m shown an overview, news related to vision, and some community content; it feels like I’m looking at a glossary.
Then I decided to find out more about LASIK on WebMD and was given a definition, the pros and cons, a description of the process, and what a patient can expect post-surgery.
Which are basic and general information that I more or less know already.
However, on DxD, I am able to glean more knowledge about LASIK because answers are more detailed to cater to the variety of LASIK questions asked.
In this particular question shown above, five ophthalmologists replied, and their answers were clearly addressed to his profile and his exact pain point.
Having a platform like DxD, not only benefits the user asking the question, but also those who come here looking for trustworthy advice to better look after themselves or family members.
To ask a question on DxD, all you have to do is click on ‘Ask Doctors’ and fill up the form accordingly.
You’ll be shown questions that have been previously answered if they’re similar to what you asked.
Upload any photos relevant to your problem, click ‘Ask’, and you’re done!
A pop-up will appear and you’ll receive an email if your question is successfully submitted.
As questions have to be moderated, which will take one working day, an email will be sent to you to notify you when your query is approved.
You will also receive an email each time a doctor gives a new answer to your question.
DxD has even prepared a handy guide on how to increase your chances of getting your question answered.
But if your question is pretty similar to what’s already been asked, you can easily request for more answers just by clicking on the ‘Request Answer’ tab.
Real Medical Advice That Bots And AI Can’t Give
After spending some time on DxD, I noticed that answers and articles are written by actual medical professionals and experts who, I found out later, were invited to DxD because of their domain expertise.
Profiles of verified doctors on DxD, from dermatologist to dentist in Singapore are accompanied by a tick, and you can easily check them out by clicking on their names.
If you’re looking for more doctors in a particular field, just click on the tags under their name.
Looking for specialists and doctors you can wholeheartedly trust, is like searching for a clothes tailor service online.
Instead of heading down to different clinics or making cold calls to meet different doctors, you can read reviews of doctors on the DxD platform and make your decision with ease.
Clicking on the ‘Consult’ button will bring up a form where you will fill in your particulars, the treatment you’re looking for, your query, and most importantly, your budget.
That brings to my mind about how guarded clinics and specialists can be when it comes to asking for a quote.
Unless you head down for a consultation, information like that doesn’t get revealed so it feels like you have to go through fire and water just to compare treatment costs.
On the other hand, submitting the form or requesting a quote under ‘Get Quotes’ on DxD will get you personalised quotes based on your medical condition from up to five different doctors for free.
Users can also choose to ‘Follow’ doctors, like a social media platform, to get updates on their activities.
Going back to your feed on DxD’s homepage will now show you Q&A and topics you’re interested in as well as stories of doctors you follow.
So, Legit Or Not?
With the bad rep that WebMD and Googling for home remedies are getting, it’s no wonder people are getting wary of online medical platforms.
If you noticed, these sites are usually catered to the much larger North American market and there isn’t one that is made for Singaporeans.
On top of that, as a young working adult, I can’t help but be more budget-conscious because I have multiple financial commitments – so falling ill is not an option.
So I was heartened to know that DxD is actually the only medical Q&A site where users can get advice from a pool of experts across all medical and dentist specialities in Singapore at no cost.
By allowing me to get advice and compare quotes from different doctors all for free, I can better plan for rainy days and make better judgements should I want to get treatment for any medical conditions.
For you guys reading this, DxD is offering free VIP membership sign-up on their platform – just click here!
As VIP members of DxD, your questions are prioritised by doctors to get answered first. (Lucky you!)
More features will be lined up soon for members, so watch this space.
This article is written in collaboration with DoctorxDentist.
Featured Image Credit: Vulcan Post