Feeling Sick? 'Truth on Call' Asks Doctors Questions Via Text Messages

Nobody likes the long waits and crowded waiting rooms that plague hospitals and doctor's offices. But what if you could ask a group of doctors a question and get instant feedback without ever stepping into an office? A San Francisco company sees it as a reality and a way to change the way we get treated when we're sick. According to The New York Times, for a fee, Truth on Call sends your question to its database of registered doctors via text message. The doctors simply text their response back, and it's forwarded to you. It's sort of like a fee-based version of Twitter, but only for doctors and patients.

Right now, it costs $50-per-doctor to ask a question, and the service is only available to the media, health care professionals and financial firms. That covers the company's cost and pays the doctors $10, which can also just be donated to charity. But in the next few months, the service should be available to the general public -- although, the price would need to drop if it's expected to catch on.

"Information is being exchanged very, very quickly in people's personal and professional lives, but health care has yet to tap into the feed," said founder Rosina Samadani. Furthermore, this could be a huge tool for doctors in developing countries. They could consult with doctors across the globe in a matter of minutes and, for their patients, that could be the difference between living and dying. [From: The New York Times]

Tags: cellphone, doctor, health, medicine, socialnetworking, text message, top, twitter