Black Doctor 24/7 by Dr. Bill Releford
How we helped Dr. Bill Releford, a distinguished podiatric physician and surgeon, develop and launch a patient-focusing mobile app and web doctor-centric platform fueled with telemedicine know-how and AI assistance in a 6-month period.
180
Days deployment time
14
Expert team size
100%
HIPAA compliance
BACKGROUND
About Black Doctor 24/7
Black Doctor 24/7 is a telemedicine app with personal AI assistance to address healthcare disparities in the African-American community by connecting African-American patients with African-American physicians and reaching underserved populations while improving healthcare outcomes.
Designed to fight health disparities, Black Doctor’s mission was to provide a viable alternative to the present healthcare system. With manifold cutting-edge integrations, the platform now cuts down human bias and prejudice along with approaching cardiovascular disease treatment.
The product was fouinded by Dr. Bill Releford - distinguished podiatric physician and surgeon who has made significant contributions to the field of diabetic limb salvage and wound care.
Dr. Releford's work has been recognized by major media outlets including NBC Nightly News, ABC's The View, The Washington Post, Newsweek, and the Los Angeles Times.
Designed to fight health disparities, Black Doctor’s mission was to provide a viable alternative to the present healthcare system. With manifold cutting-edge integrations, the platform now cuts down human bias and prejudice along with approaching cardiovascular disease treatment.
The product was fouinded by Dr. Bill Releford - distinguished podiatric physician and surgeon who has made significant contributions to the field of diabetic limb salvage and wound care.
Dr. Releford's work has been recognized by major media outlets including NBC Nightly News, ABC's The View, The Washington Post, Newsweek, and the Los Angeles Times.
5colorsforlife.com
$100M
Revenue goal
14
Team size
100%
HIPAA compliance
Wound care
Healthcare domain
project goals
Problems Dr. Bill Releford wanted to solve
1
Limited Access to Competent Care
Many African-American patients struggle to find providers who understand cultural nuances and specific health challenges, such as higher rates of cardiovascular disease or diabetic limb loss.
2
Geographical Barriers
Traditional in-person visits can be inconvenient or impossible for patients in remote or underserved urban areas, leading to delayed medical help and negative health outcomes
3
Administrative Burden
Traditional care models involve extensive office staff, paperwork, and phone calls, inflating operational costs.
4
Physician Time Constraints
Doctors often juggle numerous manual tasks—scheduling, follow-ups, record-keeping—reducing actual face-to-face patient care.
5
Reliance on Physical Visits
Patients often wait days or weeks to see a doctor in person, losing precious time for early intervention.
6
Missed Preventive Screenings
Busy or immobile patients skip routine checkups, increasing risks for advanced complications and emergency interventions
7
Scattered Patient Records
Patients seeking care across different clinics or hospitals often have incomplete medical histories in each system.
8
Limited Data Exchange
Outdated or incompatible EHR (Electronic Health Record) systems hamper efficient transfer of patient information, resulting in repeated tests or missed diagnoses.
9
High Operational Overheads
Renting office space, staffing receptionists, and managing patient flow all add up.
REQUESTS
Dr. Bill Releford's initial requests
1
Reducing gaps in underserved communities
Many African-American communities lack reliable local healthcare providers familiar with their cultural contexts and specific health disparities (e.g., diabetes, cardiovascular disease). Building trust in a virtual-first platform requires deep cultural understanding and a robust network of racially diverse physicians.
2
Achieving HIPAA compliance
Telemedicine platforms handle sensitive Protected Health Information (PHI). Ensuring airtight HIPAA compliance and robust security measures — like end-to-end encryption, secure user authentication, and threat detection — is non-negotiable.
3
Building an MVP platform in 6 mo
Launching a robust telehealth app typically takes a year or more. The client needed a feature-rich, cross-platform solution in half the usual time—complete with real-time video calls, chat, AI triage, and web-based doctor portals.
4
Integrating 3rd parties seamlessly
Bringing together multiple external platforms—like Agora for video, GetStream for chat, and Infermedica for AI-driven triage—often leads to compatibility issues, synchronization delays, and user experience problems.
5
Automating clinical workflows
Doctors and staff often rely on manual processes for scheduling, prescription refills, and patient follow-ups—raising costs and the likelihood of mistakes.
6
Boosting patient engagement & retention
Low awareness of telehealth’s benefits and skepticism around AI-driven triage can cause users to abandon the platform quickly, limiting the app’s ability to scale and deliver consistent care.
Solutions
Solutions we delivered
Telemedicine Video & Chat
Here's the telemedicine infrastructure we built in detail:
- - Agora Integration for high-quality, real-time video calls: patients can see and speak with their doctor no matter where they are.
- - GetStream Integration enabling secure, feature-rich instant messaging: allows patients to send photos, ask quick questions, and receive vital instructions in real time.
- - Flexible Appointment Scheduling: Patients handpick physicians, select open slots, and book teleconsultations directly from the mobile app or web portal.
Clinically-Tested AI Assistant: “Amina”
Developed “Amina,” a 24/7 virtual assistant using Infermedica’s engine, which triages symptoms, automates patient queries, and accelerates diagnosis by 65%.
- 24/7 virtual assistant leveraging Infermedica’s medical knowledge base to perform symptom triage and guide patients through basic self-assessment steps.
- Automated patient queries that handle frequently asked questions (e.g., prescription refills, appointment follow-ups) before escalating to human support.
- Real-Ttme decision support for doctors, who receive AI‑filtered patient data, saving them time on preliminary evaluations and freeing them to focus on complex or critical cases.
- 24/7 virtual assistant leveraging Infermedica’s medical knowledge base to perform symptom triage and guide patients through basic self-assessment steps.
- Automated patient queries that handle frequently asked questions (e.g., prescription refills, appointment follow-ups) before escalating to human support.
- Real-Ttme decision support for doctors, who receive AI‑filtered patient data, saving them time on preliminary evaluations and freeing them to focus on complex or critical cases.
Web-Based Physician Portal
Here's what it looks like:
- Multi-component dashboard where doctors can view patient records, update e‑Prescriptions, check supply levels (for clinics), and manage telehealth appointments in one centralized interface.
- Automated workflow tools: Appointment reminders, patient file attachments, and integrated note-taking features cut back on manual data entry.
- Role-based access ensures only authorized physicians and staff see sensitive patient data, preserving confidentiality while maintaining a smooth operational flow.
- Multi-component dashboard where doctors can view patient records, update e‑Prescriptions, check supply levels (for clinics), and manage telehealth appointments in one centralized interface.
- Automated workflow tools: Appointment reminders, patient file attachments, and integrated note-taking features cut back on manual data entry.
- Role-based access ensures only authorized physicians and staff see sensitive patient data, preserving confidentiality while maintaining a smooth operational flow.
Patient-Focusing Secured Mobile App
We delivered a HIPAA-compliant mobile application for patients to lead them through a seamless, automated, and affordable flow to get quality care in no time.
24/7 access to hand-pick the physician, free consultations, real-time chatting for pre-/post-appointment consultations, built-in telemedicine, and virtual assistant for self-assessment and symptom checking are among the core features we've delivered.
24/7 access to hand-pick the physician, free consultations, real-time chatting for pre-/post-appointment consultations, built-in telemedicine, and virtual assistant for self-assessment and symptom checking are among the core features we've delivered.
User-Friendly Mobile App
Here's what it includes:
- Frictionless onboarding & virtual triage: Users can register, provide basic health info, and get initial AI-led symptom assessments—no tutorials or complicated steps required.
- Secure chat & post-consultation follow-ups: Patients receive personalized care plans, medication reminders, and easy access to clarify instructions or schedule additional visits.
- Personalized dashboard tracking ongoing appointments, test results, and any recommended preventive screenings.
- Frictionless onboarding & virtual triage: Users can register, provide basic health info, and get initial AI-led symptom assessments—no tutorials or complicated steps required.
- Secure chat & post-consultation follow-ups: Patients receive personalized care plans, medication reminders, and easy access to clarify instructions or schedule additional visits.
- Personalized dashboard tracking ongoing appointments, test results, and any recommended preventive screenings.
HIPAA-First Infrastructure
Here's how we ensured it:
- HIPAA-as-a-Service Backend on AWS, offering built-in encryption (at rest and in transit), threat detection, and logging.
- Advanced Security Policies like network segmentation, role-based permissions, and strict data governance.
- Third-Party Penetration Testing to validate security controls, identify vulnerabilities, and ensure compliance with U.S. healthcare regulations.
- HIPAA-as-a-Service Backend on AWS, offering built-in encryption (at rest and in transit), threat detection, and logging.
- Advanced Security Policies like network segmentation, role-based permissions, and strict data governance.
- Third-Party Penetration Testing to validate security controls, identify vulnerabilities, and ensure compliance with U.S. healthcare regulations.
Results
Business results achieved
6 months
to deliver and launch the Black Doctor 24/7 app which help Dr. Bill Releford reduce time to market, cut care delivery overheads by 40%, and get early users onboard converting them into paying customers.
100%
test-proven HIPAA compliance through implementing the AWS-based HIPAA-as-a-service-backend model and passing the penetration (pain) tests (by an external certified vendor) with low-only notices.
30,000+
African American men have been screened for diabetes and hypertension across 800 black-owned barbershops in more than 50 cities.
RELEVANT CASES
Check our more healthcare stories
Renovating the product and reducing bugs for the first UK-based telepharmacy platform
1,500
Pharmacies supported
40%
Higher retention rate
Doubling monthly active users by designing a mental health platform for ACD treatment
100%
Growth in monthly active users
30%
Boost in skinpick treatment
Expanding the services across US for a brain health coaching app by Dr Amen
11
Clinics across US
1,000+
App store downloads
Contact Us
Please provide your info and inquiry details below.
