The mid-Appalachian region of the U.S. is home to some of the nation’s most rugged mountains, and scenic, rolling rivers.
The region also suffers from poverty and lack of access to healthcare. Most of the population live in rural areas where driving many miles to see a doctor or to find a hospital is not uncommon.
One Kentucky doctor hopes to erase that disadvantage using a mobile healthcare solution called Mobile Electronic Doctor Visit (Me-Visit). The designer, Dr. William C. Thornbury, Jr., runs an overcrowded rural clinic.
Me-Visit is Dr. Thornbury’s effort to end what he calls “medical homelessness.”
The Me-Visit Web portal collects information about a patient’s health history using a questionnaire. Then, the patent-pending application analyzes the symptoms, contacts a pharmacy about any needed medications and delivers a customized plan of treatment.
If patients have an established relationship with a doctor, they simply check into Me-Visit using a desktop computer or mobile device. “It's a delivery method that promises to permanently change the way families see their doctor,” Thornbury explained.
People who live in Appalachia face a number of different disparities related to healthcare. Obesity rates in the region are significantly higher than those in metropolitan areas, largely due to poor nutrition.
Appalachian residents also suffer from lack of access to mental health treatment. In 2008, nearly 70 percent of Appalachian counties were designated as mental health professional shortage areas.
Also, Appalachian residents are less likely to have health insurance, which often makes mental health treatment unaffordable.
Other prevalent health problems in the area include cancer, substance abuse, HIV and STDs, as well as parasitic worm infections.
Although the mobile healthcare service is one solution to a lack of access, many Appalachian residents still have limited access to broadband. In a recent FCC study, Kentucky ranked 40th in the nation for the number of residents with access to high-speed Internet.
Still, Thornbury hopes to deliver a better healthcare solution for Appalachian residents, especially related to chronic conditions like obesity.
Me-Visit made its debut at HIMSS13 earlier this week.
Edited by
Braden Becker
