Forward Health is launching the “CarePod,” a self-contained, AI-powered doctor’s office that people can access in malls and office buildings.
Forward Health CEO and co-founder Adrian Aoun, is seeking to “scale doctors” the same way “an engineer can scale through software,” according to a report by TechCrunch.
The company, which was founded in 2016, reportedly launched a tech-forward doctors’ offices in 2017 that forgoes traditional medical staffing for technology such as body scanners, smart sensors, and algorithms that give diagnoses.
Illustration shows a close up on a doctor holding his stethoscope during a consultation in a group medical practice of general practitioners in Ronse, Monday 27 April 2020. (Photo by DIRK WAEM/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)
Now, Aoun is working on the implementing everything found in a doctor’s office into the “CarePod,” a self-contained, standalone medical station.
According to TechCrunch, this is the pitch:
Why spend hours in a doctor’s office to get your throat swabbed for strep throat? Walk into the CarePod, soon to be located in malls and office buildings, and answer some questions to determine the appropriate test. CarePod users can get their blood drawn, throat swabbed and blood pressure read — most of the frontline clinical work performed in primary care offices, all without a doctor or nurse. Custom AI powers the diagnosis, and behind the scenes, doctors write the appropriate prescription, which is available nearly immediately.
The CarePod subscription costs $99 per month, which includes access to all of its tests and features, such as the health apps, blood testing, a 24/7 support team, and virtual visits with Forward doctors.
“We need to figure out how to scale doctors so that they touch more lives… The same way an engineer can scale through software,” Aoun told TechCrunch.
Now, Forward Health customers can reportedly walk up to a door and unlock it with their mobile device. From there, they step into a room alone, where they find a chair facing a large touchscreen.
There is also a glowing ring on the floor shows users where the full-body scanner is located, as well as a hidden drawer to one side that delivers different medical tests as needed. A female voice guides the patient through the entire process.
Customers can choose apps for various different ailments. In addition to receiving a full body scan, users can also select from heart health, thyroid testing, blood pressure, weight management, diabetes screening, COVID-19 test, HIV screening, kidney, and liver health.
If a patient chooses heart health, for example, a drawer opens and presents the customer with a sensor. The touchscreen then instructs the user to place the sensor against their heart. The diagnosis will then be displayed on the screen.
Forward Health’s facilities can already be found throughout the United States, including in Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.
But “they look and feel more like traditional healthcare facilities fused with an Apple Store,” TechCrunch reported.
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