From Health Supplements to Digital Healthcare... Expansion of Non-Face-to-Face Medical Platform 영역 Begins in Earnest

Olacare Launches Industry's First In-House Dietary Supplement Brand
MDsquare Launches Subscription-Based Health Management Platform
'Post-Corona' Exit Strategy Gains Momentum
New Business Competitiveness Expected to Separate Wheat from Chaff

Health functional food brand Olait launched by the non-face-to-face medical platform Olacare.
[Photo by Olacare]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The non-face-to-face medical platform industry, which rapidly grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, is now actively expanding its scope. Beyond simply connecting doctors and patients through remote consultations, the industry is extending its services to health management counseling, digital healthcare, and even health functional foods. As concrete exit strategies for the post-COVID era emerge, there are forecasts that a ‘sorting of the wheat from the chaff’ among platforms will take place.

According to the industry on the 25th, Olacare, a non-face-to-face medical platform, has launched its own health functional food brand ‘Ollait,’ becoming the first in the industry to enter the health functional food business in earnest. Under the concept of ‘health functional foods with essential nutrients at reasonable prices,’ the current product lineup consists of three types: calcium-magnesium, propolis, and hyaluronic acid-vitamin C, which are in high demand.

Earlier in July, Olacare also introduced ‘Olacare Mall,’ which sells personalized products by analyzing gender, age information, and remote medical data. It began selling health-related products such as organic feminine cleansers, self-diagnostic test kits, and baby lotion. Kim Sung-hyun, CEO of Blue Ant, the operator of Olacare, said, “We plan to advance into a customized health-linked service by integrating and analyzing remote medical data and genomic data in the future,” adding, “We are preparing to combine various areas of digital healthcare with Olacare services.”

Health management platform MDcare launched by MDsquare.
[Photo by MDsquare]

MD Square, which operates the non-face-to-face medical platform MD Talk, has newly launched ‘MD Care,’ a health management platform that allows users to receive personalized care from professional medical staff based on health-related data. By linking Bluetooth and Internet of Things (IoT) devices to input health data such as blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight, a dedicated coordinator composed of medical staff checks the user’s health status and provides lifestyle management, goal setting, and real-time health consultations. After consulting through MD Care, patients who require treatment can be connected to the remote medical service linked with MD Talk. It operates as a subscription service and features diversified memberships, including individual and corporate members. Prior to the full launch of MD Care, MD Square partnered with Sanofi Aventis Korea, the Korean branch of the global healthcare company Sanofi, to enhance the platform.

The expansion of digital healthcare by non-face-to-face medical platforms has been proposed as a key exit strategy within the industry. In fact, Dr. Now acquired the healthcare startup ‘Boosters Company’ in the first half of this year and has integrated various services such as 24-hour real-time health consultations via an application, prescription medication reminders, and a pedometer with functions necessary for health management. NaManui Doctor has also continued to expand its scope beyond remote consultations by introducing a ‘health management’ system that allows users to record their health status and share it with medical staff.

Within the industry, these moves are seen as efforts to strengthen competitiveness amid the ongoing push for legislation beyond the temporary allowance of remote consultations. It is anticipated that non-face-to-face medical platforms, which can secure patient consultation data, will naturally expand their business into the healthcare field. Especially since a rapid increase in users like that seen during the Omicron variant surge in the first half of this year is unlikely for the time being, entering new fields is necessary to attract users in the future. An industry insider predicted, “Once the competitiveness of each non-face-to-face medical platform becomes apparent through the process of expanding business areas, a sorting of the wheat from the chaff will take place.”