Rural Healthcare Problems in America – Solution Unmanned Micro Clinics
Posted: Friday, November 11, 2011
by Highway 101
Today, 75 percent of the United States inhabitants live in suburban and urban areas, but cities geographically occupy only 2 percent of the country. Rural areas occupy the remaining 98 percent. The US Census Bureau defines rural areas as those that comprise open country and settlements with fewer than 2,500 residents. These rural areas are often poorly served by healthcare facilities because it is typically not viable to establish a manned clinic in such sparsely populated areas.
A majority of farming communities are insured but face higher costs than members of other households About 60 percent of farm-operator households live in non urban areas, and are less likely to have access to nearby medical care.
A proposal is soon to be submitted to Congress to seek funding for new technology solutions to help alleviate the rural healthcare problem. One solution which is likely to be under consideration is to employ self-service primary healthcare systems. There are a number of companies which provide telehealth systems which might be employed in this field. They include Honeywell HomMed, AMD Global Telemedicine, and AT&T For Health that provide a range of telehealth equipments which rural residents can purchase and connect by the internet to a medical facility.
Another solution which will be proposed to Congress is for local self-service public access primary healthcare terminals. So far, one company, VideoKall, has developed an interesting novel approach which is an unmanned micro clinic, called MEDEX Spot cabins. They have not only developed a drop ship primary healthcare clinic which can be installed at say a fire station, school or gas station, but they have developed a plan to get industry to finance these unmanned cabins. Their rural healthcare initiative invites supervisors from unincorporated areas (those outside cities and towns) to apply for a corporate sponsored cabin. Once they have collected a list of rural communities who could benefit from having an unmanned micro clinic, the company then plans to reach out to Fortune 500 companies and ask them to sponsor the $50k a piece clinics. For the companies who are being pilloried by the Occupy Wall Street movement, sponsoring unmanned micro clinics in rural locations would seem a very small price to show they are giving back to the communities.
Technology, new paradigms and smart business approaches are needed in today’s healthcare industry to bring better care to the rural areas at a reasonable price. There are a number of players mentioned previously that are pioneering in this area and provide an opportunity for corporations and rural communities to find the best market solution to satisfy their needs.
Vince Waterson is a telecommunications consultant who can be contacted at email: vwaterson@aol.com
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Top-level comments on this article: (7 total)An insightful article about a major problem area and several means to address the problems. The self-service approach to provide healthcare sounds most promising compared to high cost conventional means being pursued by others. The key will be the business proposition implied in these possible solutions the cost-benefit proposal to the prospective clients. The one that comes in at lowest cost and provides acceptable service will win in most cases.
Charlie, a Professor in Entrepreneurship
This is the welcomed future of the healthcare system in America and key to controlling costs and uninhibited access for all Americans. It will eventually expand to include all health related disciplines.
Waltyer Friesenfdorf, MS CCN
These are tremendous ideas and will happen. Technology has us to the point where people can be treated by telecommunications and by other remote means. Just as future medicines will be developed in a computer, testing whether in the hospital or office or remotely will allow for individualized treatment plans.
Having worked with Telehealth in for 10 years, I can speak first hand to the benefits of remote monitoring. First and foremost it fosters self care and teaches the patient how to manage their illness and comply which saves money. Secondly,it harnesses scarce resources for the homebound or remotely located. Finally, a video interactive unit allows the physician, PA or nurse to better assess the patient while monitoring their vitals or testing for certain conditions. "Spot cabin" technology is long overdue and another step toward improving the healthcare system in this country.
The convergence of telecommunications, internet and healthcare promises provide basic health care to poorly served segments of the world’s population by providing access to primary health care professionals that would otherwise be difficult if not impossible to access economically. MEDEX Spot cabins installed at accessible public and a private location without the need for the physical presence of medical personnel is a service needed to address pressing healthcare issues in under served areas.
The idea of a semi automated medical facility has long been the holy grail of medicine, until now...
The US 'may 'be able to provide the best care in the world, but it seriously fails the majority of its populace due to geographic and financial issues. There's a crying need for an overall improvement in US healthcare. Continuing to oblige patients to travel to an expensive medical facility, not necessarily equipped to high standard, for many offer nothing more than rudimentary rural care, clearly will not improve it. Whereas placing a Medex cabinet nearby those that are in need, will go a long way to upgrading the general face of US healthcare. It's an economical sound invention. The sooner they're on the streets the better.
A timely, doable solution to a serious problem. Service providers have no financial motive to serve the needs of people in low population density, rural communities. Even in metro areas, hospitals merge and eliminate service and faxili
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