brazilian pebmed’s apps are an encyclopedia for doctors on the go
Contxto – Healthcare is constantly evolving to reach new heights. And as a result, doctors need the most updated and relevant information to make optimal decisions. However, for multiple reasons such as practicality, location, and internet connectivity, access to the right insights isn’t always possible.
So three Brazilians from Rio de Janeiro launched a startup known as PEBMED that develops content for doctors and nurses through specialized apps.
The doctors will see you now
While in medical school, friends Pedro Gemal, Eduardo Moura, and Bruno Lagoeiro realized just how much the student community valued summarized medical content from class. To the point that they saw it as a business opportunity.
As a result, upon graduating from Fluminense Federal University in 2012, PEBMED was born.
After experimenting with various applications, in 2013, the three entrepreneurs determined that their winning product was Whitebook. This platform is basically a major database of medical news, articles, and content for doctors.
One undertaking through Brazilian 21212’s accelerator in 2015 and by 2017 the startup’s flagship product tendered to over 200,000 users, according to PEBMED’s website.
Its business model is subscription-based, meaning most of the content is only available to those who pay around R$436.90 (about US$107) a year.
Doctors helping doctors (and nurses) through apps
It’s undeniable that Google is useful. And for most of us mortals who aren’t medics, it’s the first place we refer to for something health-related.
And doctors use Google too. Sure, they have the knowledge and experience to understand all the physiology mumbo-jumbo that’s there. Not to mention their libraries of specialized medical books which are also a valuable resource.
Nonetheless, shifting through everything Google shows can be time-consuming and docs have pretty tight schedules. And sometimes you aren’t even certain if the information that’s being provided is from a legitimate medical practitioner. As for their precious books, well, they can’t carry them everywhere now can they?
Not to mention the fact that internet access isn’t always available, especially in rural communities.
So Whitebook as a content source written by doctors, for doctors, wants to assure medics get the right information. In addition, content can be downloaded and then enjoyed anywhere. This may prove especially useful for doctors in isolated areas.
Likewise, it also released a similar app but for nurses, called Nursebook, last year. Shocking name aside, it offers specialized insights for practitioners in this field.
Doctor or not, considering how tempting it can be to just Google something for free, I think it may take time for the usefulness of these apps to fully sink in among PEBMED’s target market.
-ML
