I also waited 2 months but I am glad I didn't cancel the service because of that. You don't get charged until your first month of service: no harm done....
I also waited 2 months but I am glad I didn't cancel the service because of that. You don't get charged until your first month of service: no harm done. I anticipated this from the Cali reviews and saw the overwhelmingly positive responses and so I waited (I survived before Forward with the providers I had and knew it would be good). MOST IMPORTANTLY: coming from healthcare myself, I knew that the initial 100-120-minute is a big block of time that needs to be scheduled later in the game of appt "Tetris" because current members fill up faster with their small appts. Spoilers: I get appts pretty easily at any of the 2 NY spots - 4 providers.
In my first visit in December 2018, I was blown away - like everyone else was. This is usually where most reviews end.
A ton of excitement at how awesome the docs are and impressed by the speed, accuracy and attention to detail of the first visit; so I will keep this part short. I was incredibly impressed by Dr. Singh. I work at the top 4 NY metro area hospitals with some the best nationally and internationally renown doctors in the N-E region. I get the same feels from all of 4 of the NY Forward docs, but more on that later. I'm not easy to impress. Singh impressed me with her thoughtful explanations and approach to my baseline visit. The real gem was how she didn't want to just throw antibiotics at me (as most traditional PCPs do) but instead gave me a plethora of ayurveda homeopathic ways to help my sinuses and ENT probs. I was viewed holistically and was shown the connections of related issues in my care plans. The blood work, the blood draw, the snack, change of clothes was great. The best part- everything was captured on screen and sent to my care plans in my app later in the day and update/add on appropriately with subsequent visits. The body mapping was accurate. It was more accurate than other places I went to for advanced morphometrics with messed up machines. Forward's measurements coincided with the same measurements elsewhere - so trust the accuracy (you don't have to waste $ elsewhere): their body scan is top notch. My visit was amazing just like (nearly) all the other reviews.
Genetics: I was lucky enough to be offered the kit at the first visit. I knew from Forward reviews in Cali that sometimes it gets offered months later. I'm sure it is a logistical out-of-stock issue and being patient pays off. That visit was an eye-opener and game changer. The results coincided perfectly with my family history and pharmacogenetic testings I did for my parents with another company. I have the rare, unique ability (because of testing parents and Forward testing me): to know where things came from but more importantly exactly what SNPs I have with quantified associated increase/decrease risk to the general population. Not a gimmick in any way and very real. Singh did an excellent job delivering so much info to me and answering my Qs at a later appt.
The rest - I experienced it all. Needed to go to Europe and got sick: I was able to get a same day appt and fly out later on! That was a hell of a day but that stylish goodie bag Dr. Kennedy gave me saved me (DayQuil, painkillers, emergen-C, lozenges). That was one of the most thoughtful gesture ever. You would never get that from a reg PCP! I get appts easily and the care team reaches out to me for appt offers that better fits my schedule when I indicate another time and day works best with my busy schedule!
Records - They managed to get almost all of the records from previous places (5/6) - with the 1/6 being a major hospital with a stubborn outdated personnel who refuse to request through 3rd party EHR requests companies in order to not lose their jobs at patient records dept. There simply are places where YOU (not Forward, disclosure policies I'm familiar with) will have to call, get mailed a disclosure form to sign to release your PHI (protected info). Devices - I wasn't really in it for devices and so I can't speak on monitors. THE CHAT/THE APP - SO my experience with the phone app is superb - no surprise knowing iPhone dominates the app market and there is only one iOS so... Of course Android users get glitches, as per the many permutations on the Android PHONE market: same reason for issues on almost every app in the play store.
As an uninsured freelancer in healthcare: I know the value of getting a dx through pic/text chat without having to be physically seen is a MAJOR value: Ophthalmic probs, ENT probs, aches. Their 24/7 chat service with amazing APNs is a GREAT value. More than justifies the cost with saving time and $. I was even fortunate enough to get Rx'd a med by Dr. Dufresne through the app; I would have been screwed that weekend. Office experiences have been great. My PCP, Dr. Graziano, is brilliant. Oozes so much intellect. How awesome is it that I get treated by a brilliant Ivy-league doc who helps me understand (and actually learn) about the body in such a comprehensive way. She is so down to Earth and helps me throughly understand the cons of modern wellness trends, redirects me to proven solutions and welcomes me back for unlimited testing; I'm still waiting for her to move objects with her mind though. They don't seem to have small 15 min appts - every appt is 30 mins. Even on 30 mins appts for something as small as getting a shot - Graziano managed to bring up topics on my care plan and make the most of my time (when I thought she would take advantage and keep it short and grab lunch): I appreciated the amazing clarity she brings to the table (which many traditional PCPs lack) and thoughtfulness. I have also received post-visit PDF plans akin to PHYSICAL THERAPY plans: an issue most hard-working NYers, in some way, could benefit from. Never got illustrated detailed PDFs (not even a paper) from previous regular PCPs before! The docs look young but their work history at hard-to-get-into prestigious institution insures they seen it all, seen all ages and worked with the best resources and mentors. One of them was even an intensive care unit (ICU) doc - outstanding credentials, all of them!
Long review but I can say a lot and evaluate more because of my experience in HC, with other companies and 7 months-Forward. The exciting part is they will add services - the Heart Ultrasound, the dermatology scan and the genetics updates with discoveries contingent on STRONG clinical evidence. Other companies have their genetic services show you everything with varying levels of certainty: resulting in things other docs will ignore as unproven (seen it at work) or patients worrying over nothing. The docs, the APNs, the CMAs, admin and developers have really made it amazing. I'm not the only one who thinks so either. Ty for reading this. Good luck.
