When clinics are overbooked and appointments take weeks, accessing healthcare can feel like a waiting game—or even a guessing game, where people turn to Google for answers.
In response to this, an AI-enabled startup called Doctronic aims to offer a better alternative for Americans.
Launched in late 2023, Doctronic provides free, private, and immediate medical consultations for anyone with internet access. There’s no need for a login or insurance.
Co-founders Matt Pavelle and Dr. Adam Oskowitz shaped Doctronic around a robust AI language model designed with input from physicians. Since its inception, the platform has completed over 10 million medical consultations.
Dr. Oskowitz, a vascular surgeon and co-founder, explained to Nynext, “People struggle primarily with accessing the system.” He sees their platform as a crucial “guiding light.”
A study by Pollfish found that over a third of adults in the U.S. forgo medical care due to costs. Moreover, the American Medical Colleges Association predicts a shortfall of about 86,000 doctors by 2036.
In New York City, co-founder Pavelle, a tech entrepreneur, noted the healthcare systems are failing many, pointing out that some patients face wait times of three weeks for appointments.
While Doctronic shares features with telehealth services and symptom checkers like WebMD and Teladoc, it stands out in two significant ways. It utilizes proprietary AI from a physician for structured medical insights, and its chatbot can seamlessly transition users to a real doctor.
The process kicks off with an anonymous, secure chat where Doctronic collects minimal information, like age and gender, before conducting a 15-20 minute AI-assisted medical consultation.
At the end of the session, the chatbot presents four potential diagnoses along with two summaries—one in straightforward language and the other in a structured SOAP note format, intended for use during follow-ups with a healthcare provider.
If a user hasn’t selected a doctor yet, they can opt to consult a licensed Doctronic physician for $40, typically available 24/7 across all 50 states within 30 minutes. This doctor will review the AI’s findings and either confirm or adjust the diagnosis and provide treatment options.
For those already seeing a provider, the SOAP notes can accompany them, reducing wait times and giving doctors a clearer initial picture.
Every interaction is monitored in real-time by the system, which can pause conversations if it detects emergencies or sensitive disclosures, prompting users to seek immediate assistance.
According to Pavel, “AI-chat is more about guiding patients rather than replacing doctors. We aim to empower them.”
The underlying AI is custom-built, drawing parallels to ChatGPT, yet developed by a team of doctors and engineers specializing in clinical protocols. It achieves around 70% accuracy, based on matching AI diagnoses with treatment recommendations from live doctors.
Pavel emphasized that this accuracy results from designing the system with serious clinical standards in mind.
Instead of leveraging a single generalized model, Doctronic incorporates specialized AI “agents” that collaboratively refine their consultations, cross-checking data and flagging inconsistencies to ensure accuracy.
There’s also an additional layer of oversight termed the “guardians,” which monitors conversations in real-time to ensure user safety and can intervene if necessary.
“Patient safety is paramount, and our system is built around that,” said Pavelle.
To address common concerns about data misuse, Doctronic operates anonymously by default. When an account is created, any stored memory is purely for the user’s benefit, helping personalize future interactions while adhering to HIPAA compliance.
Oskowitz reassured users, “Your data is yours. If you wish to delete it, we’ll do that. And if you want to take it somewhere else, you can.”
Since its launch, Doctronic has conducted over 10 million consultations, currently serving around 50,000 users weekly. It recently secured $5 million in funding from Union Square Ventures and Tusk Ventures, with plans to expand its network of healthcare professionals.
The founders also mentioned ambitions to integrate wearable technology and lab services in the future, although their primary focus remains on enhancing baseline access. Doctronic doesn’t operate from a physical office but is headquartered in New York City as it scales.
Pavel concluded, “Many firms are pushing boundaries in healthcare; we’re working to elevate accessibility.”
