This Company Will Bring Health Care To Your Door, On Demand
It may be time to give millennials the nickname, “The Now Generation”, because we seem to have, do, and want it all now. With just your mobile phone, you can get just about anything delivered right to your door, be picked up and dropped off, and source any piece of information your mind wonders about.
The latest convenience app that can save you time is in the healthcare space. When you are sick, the last thing you want to do is get in your car, sit in traffic, and interact with more people than absolutely necessary while you wait in a crowded waiting room.
A New Way To Get Well
DispatchHealth is a relatively new service that is bringing the health care to your door. “DispatchHealth is an on-demand, in-home, care delivery platform designed to address the healthcare needs of the on-demand consumer, as well as the needs of the consumer that struggles with access to care,” said Mark Prather, CEO of DispatchHealth.
While the service doesn’t cover something as serious as a broken arm, it does cover most common illnesses that would be an expensive use of an emergency room or urgent care.
“Consumers can access the service via an app on their mobile phones, the DispatchHealth website or simply call directly to request medical care,” said Prather. “Using its proprietary risk-stratification technology, patients are screened to make sure it is appropriate to assign a medical team. Once cleared, board-certified, ER-trained professionals are then dispatched to the home, senior care facility or workplace.”
Millennials Want Convenient Health Care
Some busy millennials may find it easier to have a medical professional meet them at their workplace instead of home, because they need to see someone as soon as possible, but can’t afford to stay home for the day.
An important piece about DispatchHealth is that the service is also great for senior citizens who have difficulty getting to the doctor when they are sick. For millennials though, the convenience factor is key.
According to a recent survey by The Capital Group, millennials consider health insurance to be one of their top three “must have” benefits, signaling the importance of having available and affordable health care when they need it. This priority translates into on demand services for health care too.
“We live in an on-demand culture,” said Prather. “We all want the right care at the right price at the right time. Our service aligns well with millennial expectations and the shift toward consumer-directed healthcare. DispatchHealth’s Net Promotor Score (NPS) has never dropped below 90, indicating the high customer satisfaction and loyalty that millennials are known to be so fond of. Far above the healthcare industry average of 30.”
Millennials Can’t Afford An Emergency Room Visit
Another major perk of DispatchHealth when it comes to millennial preference is cost. Millennials know all too well how expensive it is to be an adult, especially with the rising cost of health care.
“The providers have the ability to perform procedures such as laceration repair, rapid infectious disease testing and even deliver IV fluids and medications,” shared Prather. “They also have access to their own on-scene laboratory and mobile imaging. The average cost of an emergency room visit can run $2200, while a DispatchHealth visit can cost approximately a tenth of that.”
Speaking from experience as a millennial parent, I know how expensive an emergency room bill can be when bringing my child in for care. Since most new parents are now millennials, they will be more cost conscious where possible when it comes to health care and this gives them another choice for themselves and their children.
The cost is usually cheaper for this type of in home care, compared to an emergency room. Another area that is a benefit is the comfort factor. Have you ever felt stuffy in a doctor’s office from the smells, sounds, and sights?
“We have had mothers write to tell us how their children had a laceration repaired on the kitchen table and never even cried,” said Prather. “There is just something different about care in the home. The patients are more comfortable and the providers have an insight into the social circumstances of a patient’s life. We believe that this insight gives us a better chance at producing a care plan that truly works for our patients.”
If you are reading this with a stuffed nose, headache, or other common ailment and want to give it a test run, make sure to check their covered cities. They are currently active in Phoenix, AZ, Richmond, VA, Denver, CO, and Colorado Springs, CO.
The good news is that DispatchHealth will be spreading throughout the United States soon, as they have received a $30.8 million Series A investment, which will allow them to expand. Clearly on demand health care is a valuable resource that millennials and others alike will use.
DispatchHealth has begun to disrupt the health care industry, much like other emerging companies have upended the norm in their own niche. Millennials are likely to get behind their mission as they look to craft their lives from convenience and the ability to save money.
See original article here.