of contracting an infectious disease when staying in an enclosed
space with other sick people. All of this will begin to create
less demand for hospital beds.
“In the future, there will be more emphasis on social
determinates of health, and systems will have to address this,”
says Dan Lauffer, CEO of Thomas Health System. “We will
begin to see grocery stores affiliated with hospital systems,
and transportation issues will have to be addressed. We will
have to focus on prevention. There will be opportunities for
systems to repurpose themselves. Buildings can be retrofitted.
For example, a patient room could easily be changed to an
exam room. However, there will always be a human element.
Health care is still very personal.”
The Business of Health Care
Recently, Amazon, JP Morgan Chase and Berkshire Ha-
thaway combined forces and hired renowned physician Dr.
Atul Gawande to lead a transformation in health care, and
Google has made large investments in the health care sector.
These companies are well known for their business acumen,
and they are investing in technologies and services known for
lowering health care costs. These investments combined with
artificial intelligence, smartphone technology and telemedicine
will change the traditional hospital setting much like it has
changed the traditional practice of health care. Most impor-
tantly, it will make world-renowned health care providers
available for citizens of the Mountain State.
Doctor on Demand App
In response to younger generations’ use of technology, different
companies have created apps that make it easier to see a physician.
Doctor on Demand is a telemedicine app aimed at primary care.
Much like any other visit, Doctor on Demand can put patients in
touch with a board-certified physician who will take a patient history.
The equivalent of a virtual visit to an urgent care facility, these
physician exams, which are limited in scope, are performed using
a smartphone’s camera. If the physician has enough data, he or she
can recommend treatment or even prescribe drugs in some cases.
Doctor on Demand tries to tackle common ailments such as influenza
or the common cold as well as mental health issues like depression.
While this may be helpful in certain cases, a smartphone cannot
take a patient’s temperature or blood pressure, give a flu shot or
read the expressions on a patient’s face. The patient is also limited
by data plan and battery usage.
Users can join Doctor on Demand at no cost in order to explore the
app. For treatment, there are private pay options, and many health
insurance companies will reimburse for these services. While all of
Doctor on Demand’s physicians are board certified, it’s important to
keep in mind that most medical experts will tell you there is no substitute
for having a strong physician/patient relationship. There is no guarantee
the patient will ever see the same physician twice on the app.
Building America’s
Best Community
The My Huntington movement shines a light on the positive
people and stories in the city of Huntington, WV. To learn
more or see some of the amazing people in our community,
go to myhuntingtonwv.com!
# myhuntington
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