Cleveland Clinic Launches 24-Hour Telemedicine Service

The Cleveland Clinic is now offering an online service, available 24 hours a day, for patients in Ohio to get an urgent care consult from a computer or mobile device.

According to a report in Crain's Cleveland Business, the telemedicine service, MyCare Online, which costs $49 per virtual visit, is designed to treat and diagnose symptoms such as cough, abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever and headaches. By comparison, an average urgent care office visit runs about $100 or more.

To provide the service, the Clinic said it’s partnered with American Well—a Boston-based telemedicine company—that will provide the technology platform and the contracted healthcare professional. "It’s tremendously more convenient, because people can be seen from home or work,” said Dr. Peter Rasmussen, the medical director for distance health at Cleveland Clinic, in a news release, reported on by Crain's Cleveland Business. “For certain conditions, there’s no need to drive anywhere.”