Telemedicine company Health Spot, has partnered with Netsmart to add behavioral health support for its interactive kiosks to improve healthcare access for patients. It also added Nationwide Children’s Hospital as part of six-month pilot program.
Users enter their information in an ATM-style sign in and can have video conferencing sessions with physicians to discuss symptoms, diagnose conditions with the help of interactive medical devices housed in the kiosk, an prescribe medications.
Telemedicine as a remedy to communities underserved by behavioral health specialists has been a a big talking point at the American Telemedicine Association’s Austin conference this year, although reimbursement continues to be a challenging obstacle to surmount.
In an interview with MedCity News, HealthSpot CEO Steve Cashman said its biggest customers are employers and health systems and views community access centers, schools and family health centers as growth areas.
University Hospitals, for example, is using them as a less costly way to serve patients with minor ailments who visit the emergency room because they need after-hours care. The Cleveland Clinic is piloting units in three of its family health centers as an option for after-hours care.
Earlier this ear the company raised $10.45 million to expand its business. Cashman said it has orders for 150 units with 20 expected to go live in the next 45 days. He sees his solution as adding value to the consumer experience of technology.
“About 51 percent of people don’t have a primary care physician. There are all these gaps in care…The biggest challenge is having the right care at the right time and place for the right patient.”
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio will test the kiosk technology with its pediatric patient population. HealthSpot already works with Miami Children’s Hospital and Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, part of University Hospital health system.
