Business
Urologist finds success with forming a business on paper
■ A Seattle physician sells software that creates informed-consent forms.
By Tyler Chin — Posted Nov. 15, 2004
Making sidelines pay
Doctors who branched out beyond running their practice tell why they did it, how they did it, and what you should know before you do it.
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Name: James E. Gottesman, MD
Specialty: Urology
Location: Seattle
Business: Dialog Medical. The company sells software that physicians and hospitals can use to print out informed consent forms that patients can sign on paper or electronically.
Annual revenue: The medical software company projects that 2004 revenue will be approximately $7 million, including a $6 million contract it signed in March with the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs.
Why he started the business: Dr. Gottesman founded Dialog Medical 20 years ago. His foray into creating forms began when he produced handouts his nurse could give to patients to tell them where to go for their radiological exam.
Then he expanded to education handouts and consent forms for surgical procedures.
"It was drummed into us [during his residency in California in the mid-1970s] about documenting everything that we talked to patients about in a note. Now that's me writing it. ... So I took that a step further and wrote out all the things I would tell people in simple language, and they would sign it as a contract -- basically that they know these are the risks and the procedure."
Why he keeps practicing: "The computer side of this was almost a hobby to a degree. I love doing what I do. So there's no reason to give that up."
Words of wisdom: "My advice to anybody almost always is follow your passion. If somebody is pretty passionate about something, go for it."
