'Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe? Finding the Right Doctor Shouldn't Be Like This'

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Nov. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Americans are among the most sophisticated consumer shoppers on the planet, spending countless hours online comparing the characteristics and prices of cars, homes, clothes and electronics. Yet when it comes to shopping for a physician, even the most educated consumers often resort to an outdated approach that can best be described as "eeny, meeny, miny, moe."

Part of the problem is that the traditional tools for finding a physician -- the telephone directory, insurance provider list, or a referral from a friend -- haven't changed much in the last three decades. The healthcare industry has been slow to adapt to consumers' rapidly evolving online shopping demands. Physicians haven't helped much either. They've been slow to adopt online marketing because of the perceived time, money and energy required to market their practice, credentials and prices on the Internet. As a result, prospecting patients are left in the dark. Most find that it's easier and more reliable to select a good hotel than to find the right doctor.

But with consumers now shouldering a greater portion of their healthcare costs, a growing number are demanding "more efficient and more intelligent ways to select a doctor," according to consumer advocate Allison Guimard. Last year, Guimard decided to channel her own frustration into an online physician directory called Alijor.com. Alijor.com is a medical Web portal that facilitates the easy connection between consumers seeking medical services and local healthcare providers.

"Traditional tools for choosing a doctor don't tell you what an office visit costs, how long the doctor has been practicing, or whether the doctor is even accepting new patients," said Guimard, CEO of Alijor.com. "The mission of Alijor is to give consumers information about local physicians -- including the doctor's credentials, where they went to school, and the cost of an office visit -- to help consumers shop around for the best doctor before they ever pick up the phone to make an appointment.

"Our Web portal goes a step further by also allowing consumers to post information or questions about their condition on our site," says Guimard, "so that local doctors can respond to them with answers about their concerns, their costs or the scope of their services."

Patients surfing the Alijor Web site can find chiropractors, acupuncturists, plastic surgeons, psychologists and many other medical practitioners. They can even email various providers to compare prices before choosing the doctor who seems to best meet their healthcare needs.

Physicians are finding Alijor.com to be advantageous, too, because the site lets them register and advertise their practice for free to a pool of prospective patients who are actively looking for a new doctor.

Guimard claims that sites like Alijor.com are destined to become the "medical yellow pages" of the future, connecting patients and doctors who may otherwise find it difficult to connect.

Currently Alijor.com has more than 20,000 registered patient users and more than 2,000 registered providers. For more information, visit Alijor.com or call 408-733-6400, extension 301.

About Alijor.com

Alijor.com is one of the nation's premier healthcare Web portals enabling consumers seeking medical services to connect with local physicians and other healthcare providers seeking to expand their practices. Consumers post their medical service needs online for free, and local providers respond with the services they offer and an estimated cost for medical care. Alijor.com allows the consumer and provider to exchange information, make appointments, and agree on pricing, thus encouraging consumer engagement, education and price transparency in an expanding consumer-directed healthcare marketplace. Alijor.com also enables providers to market their services to patients online at no cost.