Healthcare Design - April 2017 - 47

The

Center

EASY GOING

Innovative ambulatory care providers are taking
inspiration from popular apps and online services
to create more convenient healthcare models
By Debra Levin

HE ROLE TECHNOLOGY plays

in our lives has grown
quickly over the last 10 years. This is becoming more
apparent in healthcare-especially in the ambulatory care environment where new care delivery concepts are being tested across the country. Inspired by
services outside the industry, these innovative models are bringing new ideas and fresh formats that are
designed to appeal to customers' desire for convenience, proactive care, and robust services.
Forward, a 24/7 ambulatory care clinic with an on-site pharmacy, is
one new model that made its debut earlier this year in San Francisco's
Financial District. This subscription healthcare service uses a Netflix
model-like watching all the movies you want for a monthly fee, patients have access to unlimited round-theclock primary care services for a monthly
THE MANNER AND
price of $149. Forward makes use of both physicians and artificial intelligence to deliver
DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE
medical services that include real-time blood
IS RIPE FOR CHANGE.
testing and genetic testing, with results used
to create a baseline of health. At home, clients
THESE NEW IDEAS ARE,
wear sensors tied to a smartphone app that
AT THE VERY LEAST,
collects and transmits health data, allowing
STEPPING STONES AND
caregivers to be proactive in delivering care
rather than reactive.
WORTH OUR ATTENTION.
The San Francisco clinic was designed to resemble an Apple store more than any healthcare facility I've ever seen. The front lobby looks like a futuristic luxury
health spa and patients are guided to a host of technology features, including an infrared body scanner that reads their vital signs. Patients
and their doctors review the data and discuss medical recommendations using a large-scale screen, while speech-recognition algorithms
transcribe the conversation in real time and add it to a patient's health
records.

On the East Coast, the Oscar Center opened
its doors in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y., in late 2016.
Oscar began as an online insurance provider and
is just starting to break into care delivery with
the goal to deliver healthcare services that aren't
only less frustrating but are actually a delightful
experience for the consumer. That effort included finding a convenient location (it's right next
to a subway stop) and designing an open, modern environment that's full of natural light. The
center is staffed by a physician, medical assistant, nurse practitioner, and behavioral health
specialist and hosts free members-only classes,
community groups, and yoga on a regular basis.
The programming reflects its aim to not only
invest in getting sick people well, but in keeping
healthy people healthy.
Another interesting model to keep an eye
on is Zoom+Care in the Portland, Ore./Seattle market. It's a member-based healthcare service like Oscar and Forward but goes
a step further with a broader set of services,
including primary care, urgent care, and specialties like orthopedics, cardiology, dental
care, and insurance. Patients use an app or
go online to check provider availability and
to schedule a no-wait appointment, which
can be done in a matter of minutes-even
for same-day visits (think OpenTable for
medical care). You can also chat with doctors
online for free advice and diagnostics. In an article in Portland Business Journal last October,
Dr. Dave Sanders, the CEO of Zoom+Care, said
he believes that if his model is successful, in
10 years, patients will receive most of their care
over the phone, emergency rooms will resemble drive-thrus, and the acute care hospital will
shrink to not much more than an ICU.
Time will tell if Zoom's new design template
will be a success or if any of these other models
will deliver on better quality care or the delightful experiences they aim to deliver-but I do
agree with the idea that the manner and delivery of healthcare is ripe for change. It's clear that
these new ideas are, at the very least, stepping
stones to the next generation of ambulatory care
services and worth our attention. 
Debra Levin is president and CEO of The Center
for Health Design. She can be reached at D L E V I N @
H E A LT H D E S I G N . O R G .

APRIL 2017

Healthcare Design - April 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Healthcare Design - April 2017