Healthcare has been one of the last bastions of society untouched by the digital age. Yes, surgical technology and pharmaceutical innovation has progressed rapidly to do amazing things, but for a long time physicians who used this new technology didn't even have a website.
At the banking, airlines, chauffer, and even fast food restaurants and delivery not only created websites but developed ways for customers to access them easily, order online and have products and/or services right at their door. For example, with online banking people can log into their personal account to access information about how much money is in their account, recent transactions and available credit. They can even pay their bills online, transfer money to friends and in some cases deposit checks without setting foot in the bank.
What if people could do the same with their health information?
A new article published in Forbes examines how healthcare is becoming more and more like the most innovative customer service-based companies using technology developed for the digital age.
Here are five key trends to follow:
1. Telemedicine services like 1DocWay, Aircare and Sherpaa allow people to access medical professionals through mobile devices, ideal for rural patient populations.
2. Partnerships with innovators like Uber are delivering free flu shots to people, administered by trained nurses brought to the patient's home.
3. ZocDocs allow people to schedule appointments with providers online using a tool that shows openings in the provider's schedule. Patients can sign up without having to call the physician's office at a time that's convenient for them.
4. Google is testing driverless vehicle technology. Could driverless vehicles be used to pick up patients for appointments in the future? Or drive them home after surgery instead of a family member?
5. Some healthcare providers already have online patient portals where patients can update their healthcare history as well as view their physician's orders any time, which are updated in real time. There are also systems that show outstanding payments and allow patients to pay online.
What if they could send this information to other specialists and providers at the click of a button? What if they could authorize their data's use for research? What if their healthcare information was accessible on a device they had with them at all times, in case of an emergency?
The possibilities are endless and not without challenges (and controversy) but in the end, the digital age will have an impact on healthcare delivery going forward.