PALO ALTO, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 09/24/12 -- HealthTap, the premiere mobile health platform that offers trustworthy health answers from a network of 15,000+ U.S.-licensed physicians, today announced a new free service that provides a complete view of medical knowledge and quick access to doctors with deep expertise on any health topic.

For the first time, cutting-edge studies in health, the doctors behind them, and the help needed to interpret them are available to everyone through any mobile device and on the web. This fills the current gap between the state of the latest medical research and actual practice, while also forging connections between top doctors and the millions of people who stand to benefit from their expertise. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that it takes between one and two decades for original research to be put into routine clinical practice; recent research published by Washington University in St. Louis puts that estimate at 15-20 years.

"The average person seeking health information and medical help is confronted with a bewildering array of de-personalized health content that doesn't address their needs as human beings. Content from unknown authors and sources, thinly-veiled advertising and doctor directories without any insights into what doctors really specialize in, create undue confusion when people need this information most," says HealthTap Founder and CEO Ron Gutman. "Now, for the first time, you can quickly find on HealthTap what you really need to know, while discovering and connecting with the best doctor for you."

"I see people experiencing extraordinary emotions in my practice every day. So I strongly believe that everyone going through their personal health journey has the right to get forthright information on their health issues and receive care from the best doctors," says practicing OB/GYN and fertility specialist Dr. Neeoo Chin, who is also a distinguished Medical Expert on HealthTap. "If you're a couple trying to build your family, if you're a new mom, you don't want to be misinformed by Dr. Internet or Dr. Wikipedia, then see a doctor you're not sure is right for you. That's true regardless of your health status."

HealthTap's new service includes a new Publications feature that offers instant access to the latest research from peer-reviewed journals, easy-to-understand explanations of the latest medical articles and the ability to query a qualified doctor on how best to apply it to their own personal needs. HealthTap Publications makes the latest in medical knowledge immediately accessible to all by:

Putting cutting-edge research into language anyone can understand: HealthTap organizes peer reviewed articles by user-friendly topics, adds the abstract, and enables doctors to create a brief explanation of the findings.

Connecting doctors with people, and doctors to one another: Users can ask the author or other doctors questions about the article. Doctors can also connect with one another and add public comments and explanations.

Making peer-reviewed research easily discoverable: Searches for topics, questions or answers on HealthTap instantly show related research and top doctors associated with these findings.

Additionally, a new, exhaustive HealthTap Doctor Directory enables physicians to own and manage their own online profiles, highlighting all of their medical expertise in one place and making it easy for people seeking the best doctors to find and connect with them directly. Top features of the new Doctor Directory include:

Publications: Full listing of research the doctor has contributed to or published.
DocScore: A FICO-like score of the quality of the physician, as evidenced also by their academic achievements, publication history, as well as their peer-reviewed content on HealthTap.
Known-fors: Easy-to-understand, plain-English tags of the doctor's specific areas of expertise that make it simple and effortless to find the best physicians in any specialty.

Sign up for a free HealthTap account and download their app for iPhone, iPad or Android at www.healthtap.com.

About HealthTap
HealthTap is the only source of health information that puts people and doctors first. The company offers immediate access to relevant, reliable and trusted health content that is kept current through daily contributions from top physicians. Its web and mobile app connects HealthTap's Medical Expert Network of 15,000+ high-quality U.S.-licensed doctors with people seeking answers to their health-related questions.