Americans seem to like convenience care. Visits to retail clinics, for example, grew four-fold between 2007 and 2009, with nearly 6 million visits to such clinics in 2009 at an average cost of $78 per visit, according to an article in US News & World Report.
The convenience factor is pushed even farther with virtual medical consultations. These "visits" are available directly to consumers who can download an app. Using a range of computer devices, people with common ailments or who need quick advice in ongoing care for chronic conditions can have a virtual face-to-face with the board certified primary care physician of their choice, according to the article.
American Well, a telehealth service employs physicians for e-visits, or virtual computer consultations, for patients within specific insurance plans or physician practices. A consultation can start less than five minutes after the patient logged in, cost $49 and last 10 minutes.
American Well is not alone, the article said. The demand for quick access to doctors has created a range of virtual options including TeleDoc, in which patients with a limited set of symptoms can get a call back within an hour from the first available doctor. White Glove offers, in four states, a clinic in a car. The half million White Glove users can call in and receive a home visit from a physician or nurse practitioner whose black bag might contain a rapid test for strep throat or some of the most commonly used prescription drugs.
Read the article.
Two Steps to Controlling the Hot Zone
RiverSpring Living Breaks Ground on River's Edge Senior Living Community
Encompass Health Reveals Plans to Build Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospital in Post Falls, Idaho
Creating Compassionate Spaces in Healthcare
Study Shows Connection Between Odor and Patient Experience