At first glance, it might appear Dr. Renee Magana is from the past.

She showed up at a Santa Monica office last week for a contemporary version of a phenomenon that had disappeared a generation ago: the doctor’s house call.

The Santa Monica physician this month launched Homemd, a firm that offers medical care inside patients’ homes and workplaces.

Doctors routinely made house calls several decades ago but the practice virtually became extinct by 1980. Today, an Internet search turns up a range of doctors who will come to your door.

Magana hopes today’s technology can breathe life back into the concept.

“It’s a throwback, to be honest,” she said. “Sometimes the original ways tend to be the best ways.”

Homemd offers IV therapy, vaccinations and annual physicals, among other services. The firm weekly treats about 20 patients, roughly half of whom are business professionals seen in their offices.

Technological advancements make it easier for doctors to provide care to patients in their home or office. Gone are the days of traveling doctors who bear a black bag with a stethoscope and thermometer on hand. Magana, depending on the patient, brings a catheter; IV bag; collapsible IV pole; and an iPad, which she uses to update medical records electronically.

The idea for Homemd came a few years ago when she made house calls to hospice patients.

“I was overwhelmed by the quality of the visit and the amount of information I can get just by seeing patients in their own environment,” she said.

Inspired, Magana decided she would provide the same level of care to a broader population.

One of her patients, Aura Gonzales-Kuehl, appreciates the convenience and comfort. As a mother to a 5-year-old son and an executive for a major L.A. entertainment company, she’s busy enough without taking the time to get care for her chronic fatigue.

So one day last week, she was spared the trouble of traveling to a doctor’s office. Magana provided an IV vitamin treatment in a conference room near Gonzales-Kuehl’s office.

“I was actually on my iPad doing work the whole time,” she said. “It puts you at ease knowing somebody can come to you and take care of you.”

As perhaps expected, the personal doctor visits come at a premium price. Services range between $300 and $400.

A nurse practitioner alleviates the workload but Magana said that she plans to hire additional help as demand grows.

– Cale Ottens