{"id":19136,"date":"2016-11-18T16:25:54","date_gmt":"2016-11-18T21:25:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/the-dr-will-see-you-nowon-the-screen\/"},"modified":"2016-11-18T16:25:54","modified_gmt":"2016-11-18T21:25:54","slug":"the-dr-will-see-you-nowon-the-screen","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/the-dr-will-see-you-nowon-the-screen\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dr. Will See You Now\u2026On the Screen"},"content":{"rendered":"

Healthcare costs have been on the rise and hundreds of digital health startups seeking a solution to lower costs. $3.9B was invested during the first half of 2016 in seed and Series A deals looking to shake up the heavily regulated and antiquated system.[i]<\/a>\u00a0 Of that funding, there were a record-breaking 151 companies that raised more than $2M.[ii]<\/a><\/p>\n

While there has been a huge influx of new companies into the healthcare space, Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest and oldest (since 1945) U.S. players has also been heavily investing in health tech and leading the charge on implementation.[iii]<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Source:<\/a>
Source: https:\/\/www.fastcoexist.com\/3057404\/world-changing-ideas\/kaiser-permanente-designed-a-health-center-that-puts-patients-first<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kaiser has had the same business model for years: they are both the insurer and provider, from primary care to hospitals. This model incentivizes them to lower the total cost of care and hence focus on preventative health and lower cost settings. Kaiser\u2019s business model has been quite successful; in 2015, Kaiser generated about $60B[iv]<\/a> in operating revenue while caring for 10.6M members.[v]<\/a><\/p>\n

Despite their success, Kaiser is not resting on their laurels. Over the past several years, Kaiser has been upgrading their operating model, shifting to more technological solutions. Last year, Kaiser had more tele-visits than in-person encounters, 59M vs. 50M respectively.[vi]<\/a><\/p>\n

While there are many telemedicine startups, Kaiser\u2019s competitive advantage comes from their HMO model where members must see a Kaiser physician, resulting in the consolidation of their records in a single Electronic Medical Record. Kaiser patients receive (arguably) better care because those physicians have access to the patients\u2019 complete record.<\/p>\n

Kaiser recently opened several \u201chealth hubs\u201d seeking to improve the experience of going to the doctor with online check in and co-pays, text alerts when the Dr. is ready.[vii]<\/a> If a patient needs to see a specialist that isn\u2019t at their site, they are able to do a video visit on the large screen in the exam room. These new exam rooms are expected to increase the number of visits by 20%-40% and to save 10% via space-conscious floor plans, and technologies and workflows.[viii]<\/a><\/p>\n

Kaiser is also investing in longer term transformational research at their 37,000 square foot test warehouse in northern CA.[ix]<\/a><\/p>\n

Some of the pilots include:<\/p>\n