Medical care wherever you need it, when you need it

We live in a world where so many things are available to us with the click of a button. Are you hungry? You can have food be delivered within 5 minutes. Want to watch a movie? Click here for an instant download. Want to plan and  go on a vacation? Click here to complete your reservations. Why should health care be any different? Wake up and you have a fever and an ear infection? Well too bad, you need to wait for your doctor’s office to open and see when they have an available time slot for you to fit in your schedule and wait for that time to come. But what if there was an instant click button that could connect you with a doctor when and where you want? With on demand health care this is a real option. With a few clicks you could be meeting virtually with a doctor who can help you start feeling better much quicker. On demand health care is a global health care revolution that allows consumers to get medical attention where and when they need it. 

On demand health care allows patients to connect with multiple health care providers through mobile apps, websites, and sometimes even home visits. On demand health care is beneficial in so many different aspects. With the national shortage of primary care physicians and specialists in our country, on top of that there are wait times at urgent care centers and hospitals that can be ridiculously long. It is no wonder that online health care is becoming more and more popular. Americans welcome having convenience in their lives. The ease of connecting with people virtually has been beneficial in many different industries. Now people are wanting the ease and convenience of being able to connect virtually with their medical professionals. 

Virtual visits are known to be quicker, provide patients with a greater access to different specialists, be able to skip the waiting room, where we all know germs are sitting and waiting to prey upon us. On demand health care is gaining a wide following from those who especially have grown up using technology. It also has been a huge relief for those who live busy lives as well. Which let’s face it, everyone these days have lives that are so busy and we are constantly running from here to there, trying to balance life between work life and family life. Then we have working parents who need to stay on top of their child’s health care while also trying to minimize the amount of time off from work, to individuals taking care of their own mental health and are able to schedule their visits during their lunch hour or work breaks. Or even the senior citizens who are no longer able to commute by themselves and have to rely on others, they now are able to maintain their health without having to inconvenience others or work around their schedule. 

A study conducted in 2016 from the Wall Street Journal stated that 60 percent of Americans were willing to use on demand health care. I am sure that the number today would be even higher. The technology capabilities that we have are amazing now days. We are able to keep a patient’s record privately and securely. Almost every household has some sort of option to connect virtually with an outside source. Technology is available pretty much everywhere that we look. It is an amazing time to be alive and benefit from all of the advancements that are being made and will continue to be made. 

Naturally on demand health care will not work for everyone in every situation. It is surely not appropriate for life threatening situations. It is geared more toward follow up appointments, mental health counseling, minor illnesses and injuries and some specialty care situations. It is best to use good judgement and come to understand just which situations would be best suited for virtual visits and ones that will obviously need in person care. Another factor to consider for on demand visits is they can be considerably less expensive. A virtual visit can about 40 percent of what an in person visit costs and 4 percent of a visit to the Emergency Room. An Urgent Care appointment can cost around $150 per patient; compare this to an on demand doctor who charges around $75 for a fifteen minute appointment. These costs will obviously vary from different insurance plans; these are just an average cost breakdown. On demand health care is very transparent and up front with their costs so that you will know exactly what you will be paying for and there won’t be any surprise bills that come in the mail. 

Some people fear that on demand health care is disrupting the medical industry. They fear it isn’t a traditional way to practice medicine. But the truth of the matter is, it is a great alternative to quick care for minor injuries and illnesses. It gives people an option to consider rather than only being given the choice of in person visits. The health care industry is needing to change with the needs and wants of their consumers. Just like other industries, the health care industry needs to be focused on their consumers’ needs and they need to consider changing the way that care can be given. Change doesn’t have to happen in a drastic way, obviously we still need medicine and doctors and machines and in person care. But there is definitely a shift happening that is allowing more care to be performed in people’s houses. While on demand health care is in the beginning forms of its starting period, it is already making great strides. Technology is advancing every day, and the medical field is no different. It will continue making more care available to those who need it and can’t get it. Virtual care is a great resource for those who aren’t able to travel to places where they need to get their medical care.