Imagine the time you’d save if visits to the doctor’s could take place at your office, home or favorite coffee shop. And if you could access your medical records online.
That’s the concept behind Hello Health, a new kind of health care practice Jay Parkinson has just launched in Brooklyn, N.Y.
High-tech instead of high overhead
After building expertise in pediatrics and preventive health at Penn State, St. Vincent’s Hospital and Johns Hopkins, Parkinson chose high-tech over high overhead, opened his practice via a Web site and attracted 300 patients in three months. His business card reads: “I am a new kind of physician.”
Hello Health was the next logical step. The new health care approach harnesses digital communication, online scheduling, clear pricing, and Web databases for decisions about lab tests, prescriptions and specialist referrals.
Text your doctor
While initial visits are typically in person, the consumer can reach the physician by e-mail, text messaging, instant messaging or video chat. Often, mobile phones and laptops suffice for consultation and follow-up — with exams conducted by camera phones and video chat.
“Log in, tell me what’s wrong, answer a few questions, describe symptoms,” Parkinson said. An in-person, cell phone or video appointment is scheduled — saving the patient time and freeing the doctor to do more doctoring.
Facebook-like platform
Interactions are automatically documented in the patient’s electronic medical record. The interactive, Facebook-like platform lets the physician view tests, visit history, physical exam findings, medications, lab results and patient self-monitoring reports in context — aiding diagnosis, treatment and management of conditions.
“Hello Health is a concierge service for all,” Parkinson said, citing a Netflix-like monthly fee of $25 and per-visit fees from $75 to $100. The new model’s first “node” recently opened in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with franchises expected in the future.
Simplifying health care
“Today, people want iPod health care,” said James Canton, chief executive officer of San Francisco-based Institute for Global Futures. “Make it easy, and they will come.”
Robin Tierney is a freelancer who writes about health and environment issues. Reach her at [email protected].
