Seattle-based healthcare startup Xealth, along with two of its health system partners UPMC and PSJH, today announced the launch of the ability for doctors to digitally send patients over the counter (OTC) product recommendations to help them recover faster and stay healthy.
The Problem
Today, doctors recommend OTC products (ice packs, knee braces, etc.) to patients manually – providing print outs, handwritten notes on scraps of paper, verbally, or by copy/pasting links.
The Solution
Xealth’s technology allows physicians to recommend OTC items, digital apps, educational content, and services for patients right from their Electronic Medical Record (EMR). Patients can access this list of items securely inside their health system portal and then choose to buy from Amazon or other retailers. This reduces physician time, increases accuracy, and provides a much-improved, convenient method for patients to get the care they need to get better.
Highlights
- The Xealth platform helps to improve the accuracy, efficiency and consistency of care – patients get exactly what they need when they need it.
- The process of recommending products and services is “one-click.” Doctors can be consistent and efficient when providing care.
- PSJH and UPMC are the first health systems to go live with Xealth’s service. PSJH is incorporating it into its Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Institute, UPMC into maternity and orthopedic care.
- This is another step in Xealth’s journey to extend healthcare outside the walls of an exam room.
- Using Xealth, health systems can quickly deploy product recommendations at scale to help patients.
- This technology uses open APIs from retailers that are publicly available. Consumers will have a choice of which retailers to purchase from.
- Xealth ensures that absolutely no patient identifying information or personal health data is exchanged between the health system and the retailer.
- If a patient does not have access to a smart phone or email, the recommendations can be printed at the point of care.
- The patient and clinician can, of course, opt to not use the service. It is used completely at the clinician’s and patient’s discretion.
- Recommending OTC products fulfilled by online retailers is just the latest development of the Xealth platform, which also enables clinicians to recommend digital services, apps, and relevant content.
- Patients love the convenience.
- Healthcare providers love that they’re providing more comprehensive care.
Examples of OTC Items That Can Be Recommended
- Orthopedics: Doctors can proactively suggest items relevant to the patient’s procedure, so they are on-hand when the patient returns home.
— Post knee surgery: Ice pack/wrap, raised toilet seat, shower chair, cast covers, etc.
— Post shoulder surgery: Theraband, door pulley, light weights, etc.
— Post fracture: Knee scooter, forearm crutches, waterproof cast padding, etc.
— Post soft tissue injury: Tennis/golfer’s elbow strap, heel cups, orthotics, etc. - Maternity: Xealth significantly reduces the amount of back and forth between expectant moms and clinicians, saving time.
—Body pillow, maternity belt, compression socks, blood pressure cuff, etc. - Future Examples
— Pediatrics: Baby vitamin D drops, breast pump, anti-colic bottles, breastfeeding pillow<
— Primary Care: Healthy food cookbooks, humidifiers, back support pillow
— Dermatology: Cortisone cream, hypoallergenic bath products, acne treatment, sunblock
