Advocates Warn Return Of House Calls Puts Strain On Limited Physician Field
As new apps allow patients to bring a health care provider to their house with a click of a button, there are those who think the model won't scale with the current shortfall of doctors.
Los Angeles Times:
The Return Of Doctor House Calls: Convenient, But At What Cost?
Dr. Sam Kim works for Heal, a Los Angeles-based start-up that allows patients in several California counties to order doctor house calls through a smartphone app. Similar companies exist in other parts of the country, including Pager in New York City and Mend in Dallas. Health advocates generally support using technology to make medical care more convenient. As these companies grow, however, some question the return of the house call. A century ago, most medical visits were in the patient's home. But cities got bigger and doctors began using more equipment, therefore it made sense for them to not travel more than 10 steps from patient room to patient room. (Karlamangla, 3/19)
In other health IT news —
The San Gabriel Valley Tribune:
Veterans Who Have Lost Limbs Find New Hope And Abilities With This Technology
Ramon Padilla never saw the rocket-propelled grenade that exploded in front of him. And he never heard the bullet that tore away a silver dollar-sized piece of his skull. But the 41-year-old former El Monte resident clearly remembers the aftermath. It was July 8, 2007. He had been on patrol in the Korengal Valley of Afghanistan with the Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade when the attack occurred. Shrapnel from the explosion virtually severed the lower part of his left arm. (Smith, 3/19)
The San Francisco Business Times:
Jessica Richman: Improving Health Care By Giving Patients More Data
Jessica Richman may be stating the obvious when she says the U.S. healthcare system is “a mess in a million different ways,” but as co-founder of uBiome, Richman is doing her part to correct some of these problems from a consumer perspective. The San Francisco-based biotech company provides consumers information about how their behavior impacts their microbiome. For example, what the trendy diet you’re on is really doing to your body. (DiNitto, 3/19)