Platform for healthcare 2.0

Last November we wrote about Jay Parkinson, MD, the physician who’s become synonymous with Web 2.0-enabled medicine. Now the good doctor is receiving a fresh round of media attention for his involvement in a broader platform that’s designed to bring the benefits of technology and transparency to physicians and patients far and wide. In a new development, Parkinson has teamed up with Myca, a Canadian provider of health technology, to develop Hello Health, a technology platform that’s designed to open intelligent channels between patients and doctors. Hello Health aims to improve the delivery of medical services to consumers by incorporating video, voice and data communications across multiple platforms and channels, including mobile phones and PCs; documenting and archiving records and communications for round-the-clock online availability; and integrating remote monitoring devices, among other services. In marketing terms, it will be a friendly, branded consumer experience with the neighbourhood doctor, Parkinson says. Once the platform is launched—it’s due soon in Brooklyn, with the rest of New York City to follow—consumers will create an account and become a member for a range of Netflix-priced monthly fees. They’ll be able to make appointments online and be seen at home, in their offices, or at Hello Health’s offices. All their records will be online and available whenever they need them, as will all communication with Hello Health doctors. The price, Parkinson says, will be “less money than a 4-minute visit with your old doctor who practices in the 20th Century.” A preview of the platform is available on YouTube, and patients and doctors alike are being recruited to get involved in the new platform. Parkinson stopped seeing new patients officially at the beginning of this year to work on Hello Health, but will resume his practice in mid-June, when Hello Health launches. “It’s Geek Squad with doctors and a Netflix-priced monthly membership subscription fee — it is a branded healthcare ‘experience’ that mixes ‘concierge service for all’ with house/office calls and web visits via email, IM, video chat, and text messaging,” Parkinson told The Efficient MD. “It’s Fed Ex, Apple, Whole Foods, Amazon, Toyota, Fresh Direct, and Geek Squad all applied to healthcare delivery.” Indeed, Hello Health has the potential to turn the current paradigm on its ear, transforming US medicine as we know it. Spotted by: Bjarke Svendsen