Breakthrough business solution for medical practices and professionals in Middle East

As a medical directory doctoruna.com offers doctors and medical practices a bilingual English and Arabic online shop front that enables them to profile their expertise, qualifications and key details regarding their services dramatically increasing their web presence with world-class expertise.

In addition to the marketing opportunities presented by the website, DoctorUna provides a simple but technologically advanced appointment setting system that enables appointments to be requested or scheduled 24/7 even when the practice is closed.

The booking system can be easily integrated with any existing system, be it off-the-shelf or bespoke, or can be implemented as a practice's appointment system, to reduce pressure on time-stretched receptionists and to fill vacant appointment slots in one easy step.

Yaasen Dalal, CEO of DoctorUna explained, "With more than 10,000 medical practitioners and specialists registered in the UAE, it is a real challenge for doctors to raise their profile and public awareness of their services. It is equally challenging for them to keep their appointment schedules filled because of late cancellations and no-shows."

"DoctorUna provides a highly cost-effective marketing proposition for medical practitioners that delivers direct access to a database of potential patients, and converts patient search into actual appointments. The value DoctorUna offers in tangible terms is considerable, and the medical fraternity is already recognising this with more than 150 doctors already subscribing to the site before the official launch," he added.

Annual subscription costs for doctors to list on DoctorUna are low, equating in monetary terms to the revenue generated by only one extra appointment per month. The website already has access to a regional database of over 9 million potential patients to whom DoctorUna service is offered free.

"DoctorUna helps to overcome traditional, subjective and often time consuming methods patients use to find a doctor - through friends and family, word of mouth, or lists from insurance companies that can often be out of date," said Dalal.

"We provide a reliable source of up-to-date information to make the process of finding a doctor and making an appointment as simple and painless for patients as possible. At the same time we directly improve appointment efficiency for the doctor to ultimately benefit the bottom line," he added.

With DoctorUna, patients can now book and confirm their appointment instantly online, and take advantage of last-minute openings in doctors' schedules. Reminders are sent by SMS and email and changes in appointments can also be done quickly and easily without having to remember to call the receptionist. To date, more than 97% of appointments booked through DoctorUna were confirmed and honoured.

Dalal said, "DoctorUna's online booking system also results in quicker appointment times for patients, with 40% of patients using the website outside of normal practice hours to schedule their appointments. The booking system is secure with no confidential information seen or stored on the site."

"DoctorUna is quite possibly the most cost-effective means of adding revenues to medical practices in the region," added Dalal.

DoctorUna plans to extend its service to all major cities in the MENA region, with launches in Amman, Jordan and Cairo, Egypt scheduled before the end of the year.