The Doctor, Veterinarian, And Lactation Specialist Will See You Now—On Video Chat

When Google launched Helpouts in November, it opened a marketplace for experts--from scrappy entrepreneurs to big-name brands such as makeup retailer Sephora--to share their skills over video chat.

Now, while some clueless consumers are simply looking for mascara tips, the search giant sees a vastly different industry that can benefit from the service: health care.

That's right, in addition to the many musicians, yogis, and IT pros chatting on the Helpouts platform, there are also doctors, counselors, veterinarians, and lactation specialists, among other medical professionals. By melding parts of its infrastructure--namely Google Wallet and Hangouts--the company gives consumers a single destination, either through a computer or Android phone, to book sessions with experts and to pay for them. Doctors can even prescribe medicine, as Helpouts is aligned with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Using Helpouts, San Francisco resident Justine Lam, 34, consulted One Medical Group about getting a flu shot while traveling in Austin early November. The first time she connected, the picture was fuzzy and the call dropped, but the second time, she got a hold of a nurse practitioner, who coincidentally happened to be the one she usually interacts with.

"I travel a lot for work, so it's difficult for me to get to the doctor's office," says Lam, who formerly worked in marketing and recruiting for a tech company. "It was super easy. I just log in, find the time available, and within an hour I was seeing a medical professional."

Read the full story on the Fast Company website: http://www.fastcompany.com/3022450/the-doctor-veterinarian-and-lactation-specialist-will-see-you-now-on-video-chat