Healthcare hugs tech change

Neil C. Hughes / TNS

An unprecedented speed of technological change has transformed almost every aspect of our lives. We can book a table in a restaurant, hail a cab or even rent an apartment on the other side of the world at the click of a button. But not all industries have embraced this digital transformation.
Healthcare, for example, is possibly the most valuable service that we take for granted. Unfortunately, the old way of things is in need of a make-over to bring it in line with our rising expectations. The days of waiting weeks for primary healthcare have no place in our twenty-four-hour society.
Being advised that your next appointment slot is in two days, seldom delivers a positive reaction. When you later find yourself in a germ-ridden waiting room, only to be told to rest and eat chicken soup, you could be forgiven for feeling frustrated with the experience.
HealthiestYou is changing the way real people access healthcare with a unique blend of technology, innovation and engagement. The service is incredibly attractive to businesses that can offer their employees a complete healthcare service to ensure they do not have to travel to the other side of town for an appointment.
The ability to connect all patients to a doctor 24/7, schedule an appointment, find ratings, perform price comparisons on the cost of
prescriptions or procedures is
something that HealthiestYou are incredibly proud of.
HealthiestYou hopes to fill that gap by streamlining the doctor and patient relationship. The app allows Doctors to diagnose via phone and email. The reality is that most trips to your local surgery could be avoided. Acute sinusitis or earaches, for example, can easily be managed remotely.
When a company offers the plan to its employees, they can access
the system for free. Whether it’s visiting the virtual doctor’s online or the ability to speak to a fully qualified Doctor on the phone, it’s easy to see why services such as HealthiestYou are changing the healthcare landscape.
Despite these early steps of progress, the exciting changes are just around the corner. The arrival and mass adoption of fitness trackers have enabled users to monitor personal data that was previously only available by visiting a Doctor. Diet, exercise, sleep, blood pressure, heart rate and temperature can all be added to personal dashboards in a quest for greater self-awareness.
The biggest changes in our attitudes towards healthcare are that we are becoming proactive rather than reactive to health issues. Traditionally we waited until we were ill until visiting a Doctor, who we expected to wave a magic wand and make us better. Many are now attempting to prevent illness before it actually occurs.
The problem at the moment is much of this personal data is not currently actionable. We are waiting for the game-changer moment when healthcare professionals can monitor our data in real-time and flag when something changes that could indicate a risk to your health.
Sure there is a whole heap of red tape and privacy concerns to overcome before we get there, but make no mistake it’s coming.
The future of our healthcare could involve an alert on our smartphone informing us when our personal data reveals an anomaly. Within minutes of receiving the notification, you could be speaking with a Doctor. This technology is already available and only a matter of time before the tangible benefits are fully realized.
HealthiestYou is a disruptive healthcare startup that is redefining health insurance and healthcare. Its revolutionary platform has already saved businesses ranging from school districts to major corporations hundreds of thousands of dollars in employee premiums.
Check out my podcast interview with HealthiestYou, CEO Jim Pendergast. We talk about how technology is transforming the health insurance industry. The revolutionary platform is already redefining health insurance and health care as the yet another industry continues to evolve in this digital transformation.