Customer Experience

Telehealth technology evolves in response to rising customer acceptance

Hospitals and pharmacies have used telehealth services for years, mainly as a patient convenience, but industry observers believe they will become even more commonplace for health reasons, due in large measure to COVID-19.

The OnMed kiosk offers an exam room and technologies such as soundproofing; ultraviolet lighting to keep air and surfaces clean; thermal imaging and an automated pharmacy. Photo courtesy of OnMed.

September 16, 2020 by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

(Editor's note: This is part two in a two-part series on telehealth kiosks.)

No one doubts that consumers are more health conscious on account of COVID-19. But you wouldn't know it judging from hospital parking lots.

A combination of visitor restrictions imposed by health care facilities and consumer reluctance to visit the facilities for fear of exposure to airborne pathogens have changed the way many people now access health care.

Hence, as described in part one of this two-part series, telehealth services are the rising players on the health care giver landscape.

Even prior to COVID-19, more than half of U.S. consumers already believed that virtual visits can deliver easier access to health care, according to the findings of a nationwide survey released last October by Doctor on Demand, a virtual health care provider.

Patrons can access different health care services at a Pursuant Health kiosk. Photo courtesy of Pursuant Health.

Pharmacies embrace telehealth kiosks

In the last few years, several pharmacy chains have introduced telehealth services that offer both telehealth kiosks and computer based telehealth services.

As early as 2015, Pursuant Health Inc., a manufacturer of wellness testing kiosks, developed a touchscreen kiosk that provides consumers a health risk assessment based on answers to questions about health habits. Two years later, the company added retinal screening to its kiosks to capture retinal images, coordinate with eye specialists for processing and report results back to primary care physicians help prevent vision losses early.

This past April, Pursuant Health launched its Hearing Loss Information Center to all of its wellness screening kiosks located inside 4,618 Walmart and Walmart Neighborhood Market locations.

Last summer, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania based Rite Aid Corp. launched its RediClinic Express kiosks in partnership with InTouch Health, a provider of telehealth services. Customers in need of medical advice can speak with RediClinic clinicians via a two-way high-definition audio/video connection and be treated for more than 30 common medical conditions, as well as screenings, medical tests, immunizations and basic physical exams, according to the company.

Clinicians utilize the same diagnostic equipment used during face-to-face examinations, such as an otoscope, dermascope and stethoscope. If patients require a prescription or follow-up care, the clinician can submit the prescription to the patient's pharmacy of choice and, if needed, recommend that the patient visit an appropriate healthcare provider.

Hospitals find benefits

Hospitals have also recognized the benefits of telehealth.

Last fall, Tampa General Hospital installed an enclosed OnMed kiosk in its food court that allows a virtual physical examination as well as a built-in, automated pharmacy. The kiosk offers an exam room and various technologies to ensure patient safety and privacy, such as soundproofing; ultraviolet lighting that keeps air and surfaces free of pathogens; thermal imaging; and high definition camera diagnostics. The typical visit is less than 15 minutes.

Adam Smith believes telehealth kiosks offer new efficiencies for health care providers. Photo courtesy of Tampa General Hospital.

"It can diagnose everything from infections to skin issues to eye irritations," Adam Smith, the hospital's senior vice president, ambulatory services, told Kiosk Marketplace. "The provider sees the patient, and the patient can see the provider on a close to life sized screen, which makes both the patient and provider feel like they are in the same room even though they are remotely located," he said. "At the end of the visit, the provider can dispense medications directly from OnMed, or e-prescribe to your local pharmacy."

The hospital is currently integrating its emergency room records with the kiosk with the goal of allowing patients to also use the kiosk, Smith said.

Tampa General's plans to introduce the kiosk to schools, airports and businesses have been put on hold because of COVID-19, said Smith, but employee satisfaction has been more than 95%.

The economics will support continued growth of health screening kiosks, he said.

"The idea is that over time, we could shift some of that volume, expand hours, and ultimately expand access while decreasing the cost of staffing an actual clinic," Smith said. "This is one use case for this type of kiosk."

Tampa General, which leases its kiosk from the manufacturer, OnMed, continues to provide telehealth services to people using their own devices, Smith said, but the kiosk is more versatile.

Kiosks address language barriers

Telehealth kiosks have also helped communities address patients with language barriers.

Earlier this year, health care insurer Anthem Blue Cross began deploying more than 200 kiosks inside 80 health centers with plans to install hundreds more across California.

The Wi-Fi enabled kiosks allow clinicians to engage certified interpreters without having to pre-schedule in-person interpreter appointments or wait with third-party call centers. More than 240 languages are accessible.

"The Anthem Blue Cross digital solutions kiosks are a tremendous benefit for the people we serve," Dr. Jonathan Porteus, CEO of WellSpace Health, a community health system that serves more than 100,000 people in Sacramento, Placer, and Amador counties, said in a prepared statement.

"When language barriers exist, the risk of incorrect diagnosis, duplicative testing and inappropriate prescribing increases." said Dr. Demetria Malloy, Anthem Blue Cross medical director. "Language barriers may make individuals less likely to seek care or build trusting relationships with their doctors and less likely to adhere to treatment programs."

Medical technology evolves

Medical technology also continues to evolve in ways that can make telehealth kiosks more versatile.

MolecuLight Inc., a Toronto based medical imaging provider, recently introduced a fluorescence imaging system for the detection of bacteria and digital wound measurement. The solution allows for the accurate detection of wounds containing bacteria by using the company's i:X handheld device at any care location. The device allows the fluorescence bacterial information to be viewed in real time remotely by offsite wound care clinicians to provide guidance on patient care.

While hospitals and pharmacies have used telehealth services for years, mainly as a patient convenience, industry observers believe they will become even more commonplace for health reasons, due in large measure to COVID-19.

For an update on how the coronavirus pandemic has affected the kiosk industry, click here.