[August 05, 2015]

World Economic Forum Selects HealthTap as Technology Pioneer

HealthTap today announced that it has been selected as a 2016 Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum for its significant global potential to make virtual healthcare accessible to everyone. This prestigious distinction honors the world's most innovative technology companies developing and implementing proven technologies that hold true promise to change the world. To be selected as a Technology Pioneer, a company must demonstrate the ability to design and deliver transformative, cutting-edge innovations. Prior WEF Technology Pioneers include Google (News - Alert), Twitter, Airbnb, Dropbox, and Nest Labs.

The World Economic Forum handpicks Technology Pioneers from hundreds of worldwide applicants. According to the world WEF announcement, "this year, the pool of candidates was exceptionally strong and diverse, making the process all the more difficult and challenging. Candidates were judged on the selection criteria: innovation, growth and sustainability, proof of concept, potential impact, and leadership." The 82-member selection committee (comprised of distinguished technology and innovation experts, academics, and venture capitalists) recommends companies demonstrating extraordinary vision and strong signs of long-term market impact. HealthTap has been selected for setting a new benchmark for the way that consumers access medical care, pioneering a deeply transformative structure in healthcare that will both improve and save the lives of many millions everywhere and lower medical costs. Advances in mobile computing, ubiquitous connectivity, patient and doctor adoption, and the mass global adoption of mobile devices and wearables have set the stage for the next generation of digital healthcare-and HealthTap is leading the charge.

"I founded HealthTap with the conviction that healthcare is a fundamental human right," says Ron Gutman, HealthTap Founder and CEO. "Being recognized by the World Economic Forum for the technology we've built, which has already improved the lives of hundreds of millions of people all over the world by making health information and medical care accessible to everyone, is humbling. Since the beginning of this year, the world has seen a real, powerful tipping point in widespread adoption of Virtual Care. With a huge surge in individual users from all over the globe, coupled with rapid adoption of or large enterprise solutions by hospital systems, providers, payers, and large self-insured employers; we're transforming how people manage their health and making affordable and high-quality care available to people everywhere. While our work will never truly be over, the progress we've made to date empowers us to continue pushing the boundaries in the care we deliver via the HealthTap platform. More than any past accomplishment, I'm excited and inspired by our future, as we create, for the first time ever, an entirely new experience in health, moving from reactive to proactive health and from fragmented to fully integrated data-driven care."

With data-driven healthcare guidance and anytime, anywhere access to more than 71,000 doctors covering 137+ specialties, HealthTap is already changing the way that people manage their health and well-being by providing them with the convenience and comfort of receiving care immediately and without even leaving their home. HealthTap's Medical Expert platform is also changing how doctors provide care to their own patients via Virtual Practices that are easily available via any mobile device or personal computer.

By offering instant, round-the-clock, live Virtual Consults with top U.S. doctors via seamless HD video, text chat, and voice from any mobile device or computer, patients can get medical advice, prescriptions, and even lab test interpretations along with customized checklists and reminders to help them stay on top of their health goals every day.

To help further improve access to trusted medical information and reduce healthcare costs, HealthTap also provides free access to its ever-growing knowledge base of doctor-created, peer-reviewed health content. As the world's largest, most trusted digital health hub, HealthTap provides 24/7 immediate, personalized, high-quality information and virtual medical care and has served users around the world with more than 3.3 billion personalized doctor answers, doctor-curated news stories, and valuable doctor-created health tips.

Ron Gutman, HealthTap's Founder and CEO, was invited to tell the HealthTap story at the World Economic Forum's 2016 Technology Pioneers Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Dalian, China this coming September, the foremost gathering in Asia on science, technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. He was also interviewed by the World Economic Forum on mobile health and strategic shifts in healthcare for the World Economic Forum Academy's video series.

For more information on HealthTap, visit healthtap.com or download the app for free from the Google Play and Apple App Store.

About HealthTap

HealthTap has reinvented the way people all over the world take care of their health and well-being, connecting millions everywhere with the most trusted health information and doctors. The company is backed by leading investors like Khosla Ventures, Eric Schmidt's (News - Alert) Innovation Endeavors, Mayfield Fund, and Mohr Davidow Ventures. With top-rated web and mobile apps, HealthTap offers immediate and free access to relevant, reliable, and trusted health answers from a network of more than 71,000 U.S.-licensed doctors. Sign up today and download HealthTap's free apps for iPhone, iPad, or Android (News - Alert) at healthtap.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150805005434/en/

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