50 million monthly users rely on Yandex services to help them better navigate the online and offline world. We are constantly working to improve our search and other services by listening to our users and responding to their needs. With the input of our users, we discovered an upward trend in health-related search queries, which are the most searched topic on mobile devices today. In response to an increased dependence on online resources for real-time answers relating to health, Yandex recently launched Yandex.Health, a mobile application that allows Russian users to connect to doctors, regardless of location.
The Yandex.Health application enables users to obtain affordable, on-the-go health advice from qualified medical professionals 24 hours a day, seven days a week anywhere an internet connection exists. All Yandex.Health consultants are experienced Moscow-based medical professionals certified by a special Yandex.Health training course. Users can complete their initial medical consultation via videoconference or text for 99 rubles ($1.70), and follow up appointments for 499 rubles ($8.50).
Yandex.Health currently offers medical advice to Russian-speaking users across Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and several countries across Europe. The Yandex.Health app now holds the top ranking in the “Free Medical” app store category after launching earlier this year. It is the most downloaded online consultation service in Russia with thousands of consultations and counting.
The consultation process is designed to provide patients with easy-to-access medical advice from dedicated professionals. For example, if a user in Moscow has a rash, the process begins with a brief text conversation where the user can describe symptoms and send relevant images to the first available doctor. If the user is unable to use video, the doctor can continue the consultation and learn more about the user’s symptoms via text message. The user will then receive a detailed report with doctor recommendations that can be viewed anytime in the Yandex.Health application.
In addition to consultations, Yandex.Health offers a feature for users to order medication online and pick it up in person. This added service combines Yandex’s data and technology with the resources and experience of pharmacies across Russia with information on roughly 20,000 different types of medicine from over 14,000 participating pharmacies in 78 regions across Russia.
“Yandex constantly aims to improve the quality of everyday life for users online and offline,” says Grigory Bakunov, Head of Yandex.Health. “Yandex.Health provides our users with more accessible medical advice so people can better monitor and manage their health with the help of qualified healthcare professionals.”
Yandex.Health changes the way users address their health needs by providing reliable, quick, and convenient online medical advice to users who might otherwise use online searches to diagnose themselves or wait for an appointment with a medical expert. While Yandex.Health does not replace the need for in-person medical care, the application empowers patients with a reliable resource to virtually manage their health. As users become ever more dependent on their mobile devices, we are excited that Russian users now can now easily connect with doctors and take care of their health from home or on the go.
Yandex.Health is available as a desktop service and for iOS and Android for Russian-speaking users in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and some countries in Europe. For more information on Yandex.Health and its availability, visit https://health.yandex.ru/.