Clinic Concierge

Partner Content

Dec 17

ROAM Medical helps you get the care you need, wherever you need it

Presented in partnership with ROAM Medical

While studying at Keio University in 2019, Chris Motz experienced one of the unpleasant aspects of living abroad: navigating a new medical system.

“I had to find a dentist,” he recalls. The permanent retainer on his bottom teeth broke, leaving a wire protruding inside his mouth. He turned to the school administration for help.

“They recommended a dentist down the street,” Motz said. “Like many doctors in Tokyo, he spoke English but didn’t really speak English. The solution he provided was very much a Band-Aid. He put some glue on the retainer and put it back in place, which didn’t actually repair the wire. And he didn’t refer me to an orthodontist.”

The retainer broke again.

Motz’s parents happened to be visiting and asked their hotel concierge to book a doctor. “They set me up with a really nice clinic. The dentist trained in the United States and spoke fluent English. But that whole experience took a week or two for what I thought should have been an easy fix.”

The ordeal gave Motz, a graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Imperial College London, a business idea. He would create a platform that connects expats and travelers to English-speaking healthcare services abroad.

ROAM Medical launched in Tokyo in January 2022 with 54 clinical partners. Since then, it has completed 62 bookings through its concierge service, which schedules appointments with the most appropriate provider based on the patient’s needs.

“The case I’m most proud of is that we helped a baby enter the world,” Motz shared. “We were contacted by an American woman who found out she was pregnant soon after moving to Tokyo and needed to find an ob-gyn. We were able to book her first appointment, and she booked a few more through us after that.”

“Our goal is to create a product that helps you get the care you need wherever you need it by building a strong network of providers around the world to deliver a more interoperable experience.”

To build its network in Tokyo, ROAM initially researched the Japan National Tourism Organization’s list of foreigner-friendly healthcare providers. “We filtered through those by visiting their websites to get a sense of truly how well they can speak with foreigners,” Motz explained. “Then we reached out to verify their information, tell them about ROAM, and begin a dialogue to start working together.”

To find a clinic, a patient visits the ROAM website and completes the concierge form, explaining their needs, preferred time, and insurance situation. The fee per booking is $5 (yen charges vary with exchange rate). Treatment costs depend on the doctor. When ROAM receives a request, they contact an appropriate clinic, book the appointment, and send a confirmation within 24 hours.

“If you talk to enough expats, you’ll hear a range of stories about being sick abroad,” said Motz. “And because you’re there for an extended period, you must regularly interact with the healthcare system. It’s unavoidable, and it can be frustrating.”

Poor interoperability is another issue Motz hopes to solve through ROAM. “A lot of medical records are difficult or impossible to transfer from country to country,” he explained. “It shouldn’t be this way. Our goal is to create a product that helps you get the care you need wherever you need it by building a strong network of providers around the world to deliver a more interoperable experience.”

Tokyo was the starting point, but Motz and his team have begun building a roster of English-speaking healthcare providers in Seoul and other major cities in east Asia. Over the next five years, they plan to expand the network to cities around the world.

For individuals needing treatment, ROAM provides a helping hand during life’s trying moments. For healthcare providers seeking to assist English-speaking expats and travelers, it offers a direct link to those in need. And for companies with a diverse staff, the service is an excellent way to deliver peace of mind to the talent that powers their success.