By Jules Philip Tillay
Frequent on-site clinic visits can be exhausting and time-consuming especially for a working parent like software developer Noel Gary Del Castillo. During an episode of Pa-Siyensya Na, the newest podcast of DOST-Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI), he recalled a brief yet pivotal encounter.
“Kapag dinadala namin ang mga kids for check ups–in my experience–naghihintay talaga kami for two hours. Hindi kami sure kung nando’n ang doctor. ” Del Castillo said.
At that point, he realized that his struggle is only a part of a bigger picture, as only 50 percent of Filipinos nationwide have timely access to healthcare. Many of them lack the opportunity for primary care services such as checkups, vaccinations, and minor injury treatments.
Mr. Noel Gary Del Castillo (left) and Mrs. Vanessa Del Castillo (right) proudly showing SeeYouDoc’s awards in the 50th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva (IEIG). Photo courtesy of DOST-TAPI
Exposed to these realities and driven by an urge to address the gaps surrounding the Filipino healthcare experience, Del Castillo developed SeeYouDoc—the Philippines’ only fully integrated cloud-based telemedicine platform. This technology took home the highly coveted Gold Award at the recently concluded 50th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva (IEIG).
A relief for patients
Some of the features on SeeYouDoc’s landing page. Photo courtesy of SeeYouDoc, Corp.
With SeeYouDoc, patients have faster access to quality services from a roster of board-certified physicians and health professionals with varying specializations. Powered by a user-friendly website and an intuitive app (available via App Store and Play Store), consultations can be done through real-time video and audio calls in a cafe, at home, or just about any place with stable internet connection.
Additionally, the platform’s automated scheduling system allows patients to efficiently book virtually and even in-person appointments. This system ensures the availability of doctors on specific dates and time slots, eliminating the hassles of long queues and hours-long waiting time.
A safe haven
The medical field relies on critical yet confidential patient information. However, some software and websites being used by hospitals and clinics are marred with data privacy issues. Despite these challenges, Del Castillo assures that SeeYouDoc is a legit, safe and secure platform.
Aside from being an end-to-end encrypted platform that has role-based access control and audit-trail features, SeeYouDoc is compliant with local and international data privacy standards such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
With these features, the platform offers a safe and streamlined patient information database which also reduces the need for hospitals to store thousands of paper forms and folders. When it comes to technical issues, Del Castillo explained that he has a dedicated team to monitor and resolve the platform’s glitches immediately.
Mr. Noel Gary Del Castillo joins the first-ever episode of Pa-Siyensya Na! Photo courtesy of I-INVENT/DOST-TAPI.
“Meron kaming bug tracking system. In case may technical issue, na-rereceive agad namin. Then, our dev team monitors it and puts them in our pipeline to fix it,” he said. He also added that SeeYouDoc has a customer support team and an AI (artificial intelligence) bot that can cater to patient queries. To legitimize and market launch SeeYouDoc and its unique features and systems, Del Castillo availed some of DOST-TAPI’s programs.
“With support from DOST-TAPI, we were able to patent our technology, validating the impact of our innovations. Additionally, our work contributed to published research on telemedicine’s effectiveness during the pandemic, further strengthening our mission to bridge gaps in healthcare through technology,” Del Castillo said.
Aside from a granted local patent, he also applied for international patents through the Expanded Intellectual Property Rights Assistance Program. In October 2024, Del Castillo received more than 2 million pesos worth of seed funding for SeeYouDoc through the Expanded Venture Financing Program (E-VFP).
A growing community
Besides bridging patients to doctors, SeeYouDoc also assists hospitals in building a functional website with a dashboard where hospital staff can view appointments and patient feedback.
Del Castillo also said that word-of-mouth referrals among groups of medical practitioners helped their platform to thrive, especially during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when face-to-face consultations became more challenging.
SeeYouDoc’s partnerships with Mendez LGU and ARMMC.Photos courtesy of TeleMendez and ARMMC OB-GYN, posted via Facebook.
His team was able to partner with private clinics and public hospitals such as the Philippine Orthopedic Center and the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center (ARMMC). Local government units (LGUs) of Marikina, Paranaque, Lal-lo (Cagayan), and Mendez (Cavite) also integrated SeeYouDoc into their public health programs. Since its establishment in 2018, SeeYouDoc slowly morphed into a growing community of more than 40,000 patients and over 1,700 doctors and medical professionals.
This is how SeeYouDoc is shaping the future of healthcare.
** This article is part of the “Shape The Future Through Innovations: Pagsulong Tungo sa Gintong Tagumpay” Campaign for the 50th IEIG. For more information and event updates, please visit the DOST-TAPI website at www.tapi.dost.gov.ph. **
