We passionately believe that the telemedicine kiosk is the wave of the future for primary care. It obviously has many more applications, but primary care will be the driving force that pulls telemedicine kiosks into the mainstream. If you need evidence, look no further than a market research report from Future Market Insights (FMI).
The FMI report looks at the current state of American healthcare and its use of telemedicine kiosks. It recognizes that the kiosk can be outfitted with any number of diagnostic tools according to the clinician’s goals. FMI also acknowledges in their report that we are already seeing the emergence of a new form of retail medicine based on the kiosk concept.
What Telemedicine Kiosks Do
Here at CSI Health, telemedicine kiosks are one of our specialties. Although our kiosks are capable of more than what some of our competitors offer, the main objective of all our products is to give medical professionals yet another tool to offer healthcare delivery at a distance. A solid telemedicine kiosk combines diagnostic tools with videoconferencing and other technologies.
Diagnostic tools are key here. Why? Because healthcare kiosks are not new. They are as old as the pharmacy and department store blood pressure booths that have been around since the 1970s. What makes modern kiosks superior and unique is the addition of diagnostic tools ranging from heart rate monitors to ultrasound.
A telemedicine kiosk with the right diagnostic tools can prove invaluable to:
- community healthcare clinics
- hospitals and hospital-owned groups
- independent pharmacies
- grocery and department store chains.
Deploying a telemedicine kiosk does not have to be limited to a single unit in a single location. Entire primary care clinics can be outfitted with multiple kiosks and staffed by registered nurses.
The Rise of Retail Medicine
Though it is uncomfortable for some in the medical profession to hear, the rise of retail medicine is undeniable. Retail medicine was already emerging prior to the onset of COVID. But when COVID came on the scene, retail medicine accelerated at a rate faster than anyone anticipated. Now that the genie is out of the bottle, there is no putting it back in.
In the retail space, healthcare does not have to follow the traditional office model. A retail clinic can offer everything from simple health screenings to complete diagnostic care. Our healthcare telemedicine solutions are the key to making it happen.
The question you have to ask yourself is this: will my organization survive if those in decision-making positions continue to ignore the realities of telemedicine? We are by no means attempting to predict the future, but we can easily envision the time when even the humble primary care office must offer a hybrid model just to remain relevant. That hybrid model mixes traditional office visits with remote delivery via telemedicine kiosks.
Reaching More Patients with Technology
Telemedicine brings a lot to the table. Among its many benefits is the ability to reach more patients through technology. Doing so is beneficial on multiple levels. First, being able to reach more patients means taking on a larger patient load without having to expand one’s physical footprint. Second, it means increasing revenues without diminishing the quality of care.
FMI is confident that their data points to a bright future for telemedicine kiosks. We don’t disagree. In fact, we are fully on board with their analysis. One of the reasons we design and manufacture telemedicine kiosks is that we can see their potential for healthcare delivery. We believe they will be a big part of modern medicine for the foreseeable future.
