Can a Smartphone Do What Your Doctor Does? (ABC News)

“The doctor will see you now” may no longer be a phrase you hear only at your physician’s office, as a small but growing number of mobile apps hit the market offering doctor calls via smartphones.

Starting on Tuesday, the app Doctor on Demand will allow people in 15 states to talk live via video-conference to a licensed physician for $40 per call. 

That follows the app American Well, which debuted in October and offers virtual doctor visits by phone for $49 in 44 states.

The apps can help people get advice, and even a prescription, for run-of-the-mill health problems such as the common cold, a urinary tract infection or skin rash. The price is comparable to an insurance co-payment and less than what people without coverage for such visits pay, not to mention far less than the cost of a trip to the emergency room. Patients can use money from a healthcare savings or flexible spending account. More news from yahoonews