Can speaking with a doctor really be as easy as ordering a ride home? That’s the big question Direct Health has set its sights on solving in the medical space. As thought leaders flocked to Austin last week when the American Telemedicine Association was in town, CBS Austin sat down with Direct Health (now Direct Health) to discuss its unique business model of bringing healthcare to the Uber generation.

There are many barriers to people seeing their doctors when the need to. This can include travel, taking time off work and long waits just to ask simple questions to name a few. Additionally, many common concerns do not even require an in-person visit.

That’s where Direct Health comes into the picture. It’s a mobile app that allows patients and doctors to connect right on their smartphones. As CEO Clinton Phillips told CBS news, “A patient can download the app, find their physicians, send them a message. The doctor gets to decide if they prefer to do it as a video consult or a phone call within Direct Health.”

This on-demand healthcare allows patients to get their needs addressed the moment they come up. Doctors, on the other hand, can develop deeper relationships with patients by seeing them more often, avoiding costly visits to the ER and urgent care in the process. They can also manage low-acuity concerns remotely and prioritize in-person care for more severe issues.

One of the core benefits of Direct Health is how it streamlines the entire process of getting care. As Direct Health evangelist Dr. Thomas Kim explained to CBS Austin, “Our lives are complicated, and these patients often don’t know where to go. Platforms like Direct Health will allow us to both identify as providers for this population we wish to serve for and give patients an easier way to find doctors that are tailored to their needs.”