By Arina Smith
Technology continues to evolve, and it impacts so many industries. One industry that affects all of us in healthcare. Some healthcare brands are using tech to get ahead of the trends and deliver great service to their patients.
These leading companies are meeting patients where they are. This allows them to deliver the care patients need most while allowing them to be in control of their healthcare.
From telehealth to prescription glasses shipped to your door, these brands are changing their markets.
Check out these trends and the brands that are leading the way in innovation.
Telehealth Services
Being able to access care is vital for patients. Sometimes your location or the timing of a health issue makes it difficult to get into an in-person clinic. Telehealth can be a solution for this.
Telehealth allows patients to connect to their providers through a cell phone, tablet, or computer. Healthcare organizations that already had these systems in place were well ahead of the curve when Covid-19 hit. During the pandemic, the world saw a shift away from face-to-face interactions, one of which was seeing the doctor.
Many elective and non-emergency services were put on hold. Meanwhile, telehealth visits saw a 154% increase in March 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.
Healthcare organizations need to ensure the telehealth service they utilize is HIPAA-compliant. Services that also effectively integrate with their electronic medical records serve an added bonus. Chiron Health, Doxy.me, and eVisit are all brands that can provide this service in an innovative way.
Counseling services were one of the areas that saw a large increase when individuals sought mental healthcare during the pandemic. BetterHelp is one brand that stands out to digitally connect people with counseling services.
GoodRx is another company that provides a telehealth platform. They also have an app that lets consumers look up prescription medicine prices and discounts by connecting with nationwide pharmacies.
Online Prescriptions Shipped to You
There are many prescriptions we need every month. For women, that might be your birth control. Being able to order it online and have it shipped to you provides more than just convenience. It also means you won’t run out of your prescription and will be able to take it as needed.
A few brands that are ahead of the trend here are Nurx, Simple Health, and Wisp. Each of these services can connect you to a provider, fill your prescription, and send it right to your door.
Express Scripts is another company that has led the way on this trend. It’s a large pharmacy benefits management organization that ships your prescriptions right to you. You can manage your medicine from home through their app, and they have support available 24/7 for questions.
Companies like these can also help save you money on your prescriptions. Because they are larger organizations, they can find lower costs for you via generic options. You can also save by ordering several months’ supply at once for certain medications.
Eyewear Fittings in the Comfort of Your Home
Do you wear glasses? Have you ever broken a pair and needed to replace them quickly? Or maybe you had your eye exam, and the glasses available at your optometrist’s seem expensive or you just don’t like them.
Warby Parker allows you to pick out five pairs of glasses from their website to try on at home. The company was well ahead of the game here, having been founded in 2010. You can shop the website and also take a quiz to have the company suggest frames that might work for you.
It’s free to request frames to try on. Decide which one(s) you like, then ship the remainder back to Warby Parker. Once you decide on the ones you want, order them through the website with your prescription. The company will then ship the new glasses to you with your prescription lenses in them.
Zenni Optical also provides an online service for ordering your prescription glasses at a huge discount. Founded in 2003, Zenni aims to provide customers with affordable prescription glasses.
You don’t get the physical try-on options with Zenni Optical. But they have you measure your pupillary distance and allow you to upload a photo of yourself onto their website. This lets you “try on” glasses virtually to see how they will look on your face. Once you decide which pair you like best, place your order online, and they will send them directly to you.
Zenni and Warby Parker only sell their own brands of specs. This allows them to offer glasses at a lower cost than many stores and boutique eyewear companies. Both also offer the option to order prescription sunglasses.
Apps and At-Home Tests to Monitor Health
Your smartphone is a great tool for connection, but did you know it can also help you keep tabs on your health? Step and activity trackers, like Fitbit and the Apple Watch, can connect to your phone through their apps. You can also use the free MyFitnessPal app to track your calories, macronutrients, and weight.
If you have an at-home heart rhythm monitor, blood pressure cuff, or glucose meter, you can also integrate those numbers. BlueStar Diabetes and Medical ID are two apps to help you manage your diabetes. Apple’s Health app allows you to connect several different aspects of your health together as well.
Many health organizations also have online portals where you can upload your health information from your phone into their portal. This allows you to have that information available for your doctor in your electronic medical record (EMR).
Not only are there several apps to help track your physical fitness, but there are also mental health apps. Headspace and Calm are both brands that provide meditation and tips for learning how to manage thoughts and anxiety.
These trends are shaping the way consumers access healthcare. The brands mentioned are leading the way, providing healthcare services to consumers when, where, and how they want them. They allow patients the flexibility to be great advocates for themselves while obtaining their healthcare in a way that fits their lifestyle.
Read Also:
