But at its core, Persana is a communication platform.
The surgical side of the platform is particularly robustbut, at this time, heavily male.
All lovely individuals, in my experience, but as a collective?
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In fairness, some of these doctors do have personal relationships offline.
And its not unusual for them to refer patients back and forth.
They know the subtleties of training, licensing, certification, research, and results.
They know where to look for potential skeletons.
(Still, its wise to do your own homework before fully committing to a physician.)
Beyond the fundamentals, those involved are known for their integrity, he adds.
Were all in academia.
Were not aggressive influencer types.
Thats why doctors want to be a part of this.
They knew about my social media activity and my position as a fellowship director for The Aesthetic Society.
(Matchingnot referringgot it.)
If you dont know exactly what youre looking for, youll be led down a slightly different digital path.
Since Im familiar with many of the treatments and doctors on the site, I experimented with the parameters.
But when I clicked continue, no dice.
So, as I discovered, search results arent always predictable.
And since the site is still in its infancy, glitches are inevitable.
Its not perfect yet, but almost every day, we have a new update to the technology.
Otherwise, they have 72 hours to respond.
About 60% of those chats turn into appointments.
(Currently, only nonsurgical procedures can be booked directly via the platform.)
I get so many inquiries on social mediaits just a free-for-all, says one Persana-vetted surgeon who requested anonymity.
On Persana, I may be able to do a consultation within a weeks time, Dr. Levin says.
In the office, I usually schedule two to three months out.
(She typically charges the same amount for both kinds of consults.)
That said, some doctors confess that they dont have much time to devote to Persana chats.
Others havent quite figured out how to integrate the platform into their existing scheduling system.
Criticism and controversy
Persana has already attracted a fair amount of controversy.
Theres the sense of rejection, the FOMO.
But this isnt meant to be an ostracizing process, Dr. Talei insists.
If someones not on the platform, does that mean theyre not a good surgeon?
No, of course notit doesnt mean that at all.
It could be that they didnt care to be on it.
Or that somebody sent an email that wasnt received.
This wasnt some grand award ceremony.
Going forward, if someone wants to self-nominate, well look at everyone.
Conflict of interestthat bias I mentioned earlieris another phrase being whispered by industry insiders.
Can a group of doctors fairly judge who among them is most exceptional?
To skeptics, this alliance feels a bit fraught and self-serving.
As with similar serviceslike the OG research-and-referral site RealSelftheres also the usual suspicion around finances: Whos paying whom?
According to every physician I interviewed, Persana does not charge doctors to be in the web link.
This was a calculated move, Dr. Azizzadeh says.
They wanted to eliminate the pay-to-play element that breeds distrust among patients.
(For the record, some Persana doctors are also investors in the platform.)
(I get itthat lunchroom trauma just never fades.)
As the web link grows, he says, so too will the range of price points.
Persana gives them one more place to find me.
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