Healthcare has been given to patients mostly in doctor’s offices or in hospitals. House calls – once common among physicians – have largely stopped.
But new forms of healthcare delivery are predicted to follow the patient wherever s/he is, through mobile devices and around-the-clock connectivity, according to a report from Medical Marketing & Media.
It will result in what is being described as “Healthcare Anywhere.”
“Delivering healthcare to this third place—the patient—relies on continuous monitoring, a focus on prevention, wellness and behavior modification, and transparency in all aspects of care, billing and reimbursement,” a Medical Marketing & Media report by Joe Shields said. “Healthcare Anywhere also requires a shift in control and responsibility for good health to the patient, and arms him or her with the necessary tools, information and other resources required for improved self-management.”
Doctor-patient relationships have changed as well. Most patients and doctors already can access search engines, journals, clinical trial databases and educational sites. Also, both patients and healthcare providers are using tablets and smartphones in the exam room for additional information.
“Some patients are even using their devices to record their conversations with the doctor so they can review them later by themselves or with their families. Patients are also bringing months of biometric data from fitness and medical devices to share with the HCP in order to provide a much richer picture of what is happening between visits,” the report said.
Also, Accenture has identified four trends in consumer (which includes both providers and patients) technology purchase and use. They use PCs, HDTVs, smartphones and tablets.
Wearable computing devices from Apple and Google are likely to become more commonly used. Also, biometric sensors will be used in smartphones and fitness devices. There’s less preference among consumers for a specific operating system, as well. Systems are mixed and matched. Consumers are using the Cloud, too.
Providers use the Cloud for EMRs, billing and scheduling tools. And Bring Your Own Device to work is being found in the health-care sector as security improves.
In fact, with more use of varied technology, healthcare will become more patient-centered. Providers may not offer house calls, but new forms of healthcare delivery don’t require them. Just follow the patient.
Edited by
Braden Becker
