Health insurers are offering consumers access to a range of mobile clinics as a way to access health care in a pinch, according to an article published today.
In a blog post, a team of researchers from the University of Michigan and New York University outlined the process for using a smartphone app to access healthcare in rural areas.
The team used data from a new app called “Rural Vision,” which was created to connect people with doctors, hospitals, and pharmacies in rural and urban settings.
RuralVision lets consumers get prescriptions for a variety of items, including insulin, blood pressure medication, and more, and can be used to order medications for people with severe health problems like diabetes and cancer.
Users can also download the app on their phone and see a list of local doctors who can order a variety (and sometimes prescription) drugs.
Users then log in to the app to see how their prescription is going to be received and can opt out of seeing any of the medications they choose.
In this case, the team used the app, which was recently released, to log into the RuralVision website, locate the closest doctor in the area, and request a prescription for insulin.
The app then tells users that they can “call any doctor you like in the region and ask for a prescription.”
Once the phone is dialed, a doctor’s assistant will walk them through the process of getting their prescription filled.
Once they get their prescription, they will then walk the patients to the nearest pharmacy, where they can pay their bill and pick up their medications.
In some cases, the pharmacy will have a counter to check the number of medications a patient has purchased.
If the pharmacy has enough inventory, they can then fill the order.
When people visit the pharmacy, they get a check-in link from the app that will prompt them to enter their health insurance information and password.
Once that is done, they receive a receipt of the order and can then see how the medicine is being distributed to patients in the nearby community.
Once a patient leaves the pharmacy with their prescription in hand, the app allows them to “return” their prescription to the doctor they requested.
The app then asks if they’d like to take a look at their prescription.
When a patient returns their prescription and the doctor asks them for the password, the patient can simply confirm their health care history and pick the medicine they would like to have on hand.
The RuralVision app is available for Android and iOS, but will be available for desktop browsers soon.
In addition to providing access to the clinic, the program is also available to doctors in rural settings.
“If you have access to an Android device, you can take advantage of the app for an iPhone-only clinic experience,” the authors write.
“To be eligible for the iPhone-free clinic, you must have a current Medicare card and have a Medicare prescription card.
You can access the app in the Settings app, but the app must be running on the same device as your iPhone.”
