The US health care system is a multi-billion-dollar bloated, broken monster, dominated by competing special interests.
As with all revolutions, sometimes, all it takes is one individual with a common-sense idea to change things. With some cloud and social networking technology thrown in.
Jay Parkinson, a doctor frustrated by Big Health, did just that — through a $1,500 startup. As reported by Inc.’s Nicole Carter, Parkinson opened a tech-savvy practice in Brooklyn, based on a Website and link to Google Calendar that enabled patients to book their own appointments online. He also employed a PayPal account for payments, and used Formstack for medical histories. He keeps in touch with patients via e-mail, Skype video, or phone.The $1,500 went to his doctor’s license and medical equipment.
He built it, and people came. Even people with insurance plans. As he put it:
“You couldn’t do something like this 20 years ago. But we live in a time now where we can go back to traditional face-to-face business practices, but use technology to augment the experience on both sides.”
Parkinson is partner in a newer venture, HelloHealth, intends to take this low-cost virtual clinic model nationwide, providing a free Web-based patient communication, practice management and electronic health record environment.
