Start-ups are offering access to doctors, prescription drugs and wellness programs as fast and easy as hailing an Uber driver. Experts say this is the early stages of a movement that could disrupt the health services industry, which critics have long contended suffers from soaring costs and reduced access to care. Seven in 10 Americans in a recent Gallup poll said they believed health care was “in a state of crisis” or had “major problems.”
“Health care delivery is so broken that we need to explore new channels — new conduits — and this represents one of them,” said Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist and the author of “The Patient Will See You Now.”
The on-demand economy, which offers consumers immediate access to goods and services, surged 58 percent in 2017 from the previous year to an estimated $75.7 billion, according to a study by Rockbridge Associates, a market research firm.
Heal, DispatchHealth, MedZed, Dose Healthcare and Pager will send a doctor or a nurse practitioner to a person’s home or workplace to treat nonemergency problems like strep throat or a sprained ankle.
The I.V. Doc offers intravenous treatments for conditions like jet lag, hangovers and food poisoning. And Capsule will deliver prescriptions to a person’s doorstep.
“People want convenience,” said Josh York, founder of GymGuyz, a “gym on wheels” that sends a trainer and fitness equipment to customers’ homes. “You could get your pizza delivered but you couldn’t get your workout delivered, and I thought, ‘This is where the future is going.’”
When the Waiting Room Is Your Living Room
by Janet Morrissey, the new york times | JANUary 24, 2019
SHARE


CREATING A STRONG ECONOMY
Businesses can deliver everything on demand, from dinner to dry cleaning. Some will even show up at your door to give you cupcakes or walk your dog. Now, entrepreneurs are exploring a growing niche: health care.

The Chamber of Medford/Jackson County
101 E. 8th St. | Medford, OR 97501
Phone: (541) 779-4847
© 2019 All Rights Reserved
Get the latest installment with best practices, examples, and SEO tips straight to your inbox each week.
Subscribe