We're all familiar with the feat we've faced at one point last year or another when we needed the doctor. It was a real dilemma; do we suffer in silence and stay at home, or risk going into a high risk hospital environment for basic care?
Some problems requiring the opinion of a medical expert weren't that urgent, like consultancy for aesthetic surgery and other cosmetic procedures. You can learn more about how the pandemic affected the provision of those services to those in need, and Dr Kopelman's website is very helpful.
As for necessary care, many corporations all over the country picked up on how online patient care might be the solution to one dilemma. Recently, even giants like Amazon jumped on the bandwagon. Amazon announced that it was making its Amazon Telehealth services available to people all over the country, and it might have had you asking: what is Telehealth? Keep reading to find out.
History
Amazon Telehealth has been around a long time. Up till now, it was only available to the giant's Washington based employees, but Amazon recently revealed its plans to make the service available to its employees all over the 50 states.
Not only this, but Amazon is also going to invite other employers to use this service and provide it to their employees.
What exactly is Telehealth?
Amazon Telehealth is an app based patient care system that can connect patients to a healthcare professional in under 60 seconds with chat and video features.
It even has an in-person component that allows people to opt for an at-home checkup by a healthcare professional. Amazon also intends to pioneer the provision of better services to patients at their home, like COVID-19 tests, facilitating blood donations and sample collections, and even hospital level care.
How is it Different?
Since the pandemic hit the world, many companies all over the USA have attempted to establish themselves in the online care world. By making contracts directly with the employers and not health insurance companies, Amazon will be able to cut costs significantly.
What that means for the end consumer is cheaper, better medial care only one tap of your finger away.
The in-house visiting option will be available in Baltimore and a few other cities this summer, but Amazon aims to expand that to all 50 states eventually.
Why it's a Big Deal
The launch of this app over all 50 states would be the first time Amazon has put a stake in the healthcare sector that goes beyond medicine and healthcare equipment. It's also the first time Amazon has revealed what its vision for Telehealth was all along.
Given that the American healthcare industry has a value of over $3.8 trillion, Amazon is sure to make a pretty penny with this service, all the while solving a huge problem for employers all over the country.
Many sources reckon that the service would operate on a hybrid model that hasn't really been seen before, with in-person visits happening for things like medical tests and imaging, while most of the other consultations would be online.
Will Insurance Cover it?
No one is sure how insurance and Amazon Telehealth are going to work together. Up till now, most of the services offered to Amazon employees have been subsidized by Amazon itself, but we can count on the experts to work something out.
With the introduction of Amazon Telehealth all over the nation, many of Amazon's own employees would benefit greatly. In addition, it will better the healthcare provision for the employees of various companies that choose to take Amazon up on its offer. Perhaps many other companies will follow suit, and it could very well change how people approach the idea of healthcare throughout the world.
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Ashley Lipman
Ashley Lipman is an award-winning writer who discovered her passion for providing knowledge to readers worldwide on topics closest to her heart - all things digital. Since her first high school award in Creative Writing, she continues to deliver awesome content through various niches touching the digital sphere.
