Online medical consultation platforms Sohati and eTobb are bent on digitalizing the process of diagnosis. In the past year both companies have launched interfaces that allow users to ask medical questions and get a doctor’s response within 24 to 48 hours, anonymously, and for free. The digitalization of health has clear benefits. It is making reliable health information more accessible in Lebanon and the wider Middle East — where not everyone has adequate access to healthcare or the means to procure a doctor’s services. It is also raising awareness of taboo topics that are sometimes considered too personal for the doctor’s offices while enabling tech-savvy doctors to attract new clientele. Zena Sfeir and Elsa Aoun, two of the co-founders of Sohati, recently quit their jobs at pharmaceutical and consulting companies to work full-time on the project. Together with Naji Gehchan and Wassim Kari, they launched Sohati in April, an online
