I love web 2.0! I have quickly reviewed Medtrotter, and to be honest I was extremy skeptical about patients ranking their surgeon…. Yet, let s now just consider a health condition such as asthma. You are living in Charlotte, north Carolina and you are looking for some information: you got it, through a new online doctor directory called Xoova.

 

Xoova besides being graphically and ergonomically remakable has the notable advantage of proposing consistent entry keys. One will write its location (state, town in the US exclusively) plus a health condition among a list: the cross research will lead to a series of profile. I have for instance typed Los Angeles California and aging: I got 1439 profiles most of them being relevant on the 8 first pages ( I was lazy going onwards). With 500000 doctors featured and 20000 profiles completed by the doctors themselves, we can talk about critical size! Doctors are not ranked everyone has a chance to grab new customers!

Now is one question I would like to ask Xoova: where is the money? please shed the light on this, I really have no clue. Xoova even advertises: “physicians who have integrated Xoova into their practices report a new patient yield of 5% or better, significantly better than typical phone-based patient referral services. There is no cost, software to install or contract to sign, meaning you can create an effective online marketing tool for yourself without risk”. In fact, the model of revenue is blur: appointements online are free, registration is free (for a positive yield…). I don’t get it.

Xoova is however developing an innovative new point of entry for its database: it consists in indicating your health plan to find the right doctors. Perhaps this will lead to an interesting revenue model sharing with Xoova promoting some HMO (through their doctors) or conversly HMO communicating on their plans through Xoova. The company is planning to further extend by raising 5 million USD beginning 2008, perhaps to cash in the strong community they have been building for 2 years?