The Future of Mobile Healthcare in 2015
Picture this. You are sick at home with the flu. You drive yourself to the hospital. You take a seat and try not to cough on the people sitting next to you. Finally, after two hours of waiting, a nurse calls your name. She takes you in to see the doctor where you wait some more. The doctor finally comes in, asks you a few questions, and hands you a prescription. You are then rushed out so the next patient can come in. We’ve all been there, and it’s about time it comes to an end.
What if you could request a doctor to your home through an app on your phone? It’s now a reality for patients that have apps like Heal, Pager, Medicast, MedZed, and more. All you have to do is download the app, request a doctor within your location, pay a $99-150 fee, and a doctor will arrive within one hour. Take as much time as you need to ask questions, all while staying in your pajamas. These apps are bringing back the old styles of house calls to medical companies, which many sick patients can benefit from.
The Pros and Cons of Mobile Healthcare
Although this concept is new and exciting to the medical world, there are some concerns. First, the pricing. For a non-emergency visit to the doctor, it will run you about $20 to $40 with a co-pay. This is quite a difference compared to the $99 to $150 you will be spending when you request a doctor visit. The service is also not covered by insurance and most are cash-only. There is also concern with the care. This service would not be ideal for patients that have chronic illnesses that are monitored by a certain doctor who knows their patient. It could be unsafe to use the service if your need comes with a set of complicated requirements such as allergies or reactions.
This service is most beneficial to the “one or few timers” who just need a quick check-up, flu shot, throat swab, or antibiotics. This service may also be beneficial for minor emergency visits. For example, someone who needs stitches might wait hours in the waiting room and pay thousands of dollars for an ER visit, even more so if an ambulance is involved. With the app, a doctor could come to your house, stitch you up, all within an hour. The best part? They would only leave you with a $200-$300 bill. There also is a benefit to driving. If a patient is a 45 subway away from the closest hospital when they are sickly, the home visit is a great option. This is even great for caretakers who are caring for a loved one and won’t be able to get them in a car or afford an ambulance.
A Look at the Future for Healthcare Companies
The general consensus is that these medical Uber-like apps are great for some people, and not ideal for others. There is a definite target audience for the apps and will need to be regulated to make sure that the people who are in need of help from a hospital, get it. One of the main focuses of these mobile medical apps is to decrease the number of people that go for unnecessary emergency room trips. They are pulling time away from the people that really need it.
True North Health Navigation in Denver has partnered with 911 dispatch services to alleviate these emergency room trips. If someone calls in and the situation is less than alarming, the True North mobile unit will head to the scene with fire department paramedics. If the situation is deemed non-life-threatening, the patient can choose to be treated by the accompanying nurse for $300, or taken to the hospital for $3,000. What would you rather do?
Growing Your Medical Company With Mobile Trends
These “Uber for healthcare” start-ups are sprouting up all over the United States, praying to catch on in the medical world. Is your medical start-up interested in having a mobile unit option for patients? If so, there are going to be many added expenses for travel equipment, gas, and practitioner/physician salary changes. A promising start-up business cannot afford to be short on money. Medical receivables factoring from PRN Funding can provide your start-up with a healthy cash flow to grow and provide the best service to your patients. Let us be the helping hand to your success.
