American Well: The Doctor will e-see you Now - Case Study Example

American Well: The Doctor will e-see You Now Answer 1. Electronic physician-patient interaction is on rise in the US since mid-2000s. It is more comforting to the physician and the patient to communicate through email, also known as e-visits. In a survey done in 2006,it was found that almost 74 percent of the patients wanted to communicate with their doctors using email but unable to do so because the service was not available. In another survey, it was found that more and more physicians communicated to their patients using email and that percentage sharply increased from 23% to 36% between 2001 and 2008. The survey also established that online communication increases efficiencies as personal patient visits to the doctors reduce considerably. This was also found in a study conducted by Kaiser Permanente in 2007 that informed that those physicians who provide email communication received 14 percent lower calls. In 2006, American Well invented a novel concept of online healthcare using web-based technologies bringing patient and physician in direct interaction. Usually, physician’s availability and geographical location restrict the patient approaching them and that issue is largely solved here. The American Well's way of providing online healthcare has much strength. The first and foremost of them is that the patient always looks out for convenience, quality, urgency, choice and affordability while seeking any healthcare services and all these criteria can easily be met through American Well’s innovative concept of online health services. The patient need not take any appointment in advance and their privacy issue is not impacted at all. Moreover, once the patient is diagnosed, the patient may go for two or more opinions depending upon gravity of ailments. A lot of crucial time of the patient is saved by going online. Physicians can also utilize their timings more effectively. Online healthcare works as a value proposition to the patients because it costs less than in-person visits. Insurance companies would also save a lot due to online healthcare services. Online healthcare facility has the weakness in the sense that personal across-the-table-kind-of-interaction is missing that patients are usually habituated of; that gives less confidence to the patient in diagnosis by the physician and their treatment processes. Answer 2. Team Edition, a next-generation product, has been devised to facilitate interactions between doctors. Usually, the patient is referred to a specialist by their primary care physician (PCP) and interaction between specialist and physician takes place through visit reports. Often, it consumes a considerable time. 'Team Edition' is meant to reduce this time gap and initiate the investigation by the specialist in real time. The patient while sitting in the PCP's office or even while being online will get specialist services without much of the time lapse. Thus, Team Edition adds significant value in providing healthcare to the patient. Time saved thus, will help the patient begin treatment process to their advantage saving precious time. Rural areas and areas with low population density suffer most in getting specialist services; that is where ‘Time Edition’ comes handy. Physician's apprehension of malpractice litigation is one of the barriers that the company already anticipated. Apart, the online healthcare is not meant for every medical condition. The biggest barrier is the insurance companies – to bring them in the company’s fold is a daunting task because many of them refuse to acknowledge and pay for the online services provided by the physicians. Answer 3. In 2009, the healthcare expenditure in the US is estimated at $2500 billion, which is expanding at rapid pace. In percentage terms, the spending constitutes over 15 percent of the GDP of the country. Cancer, Heart ailments and diabetes constitute as major causes of deaths. The potential is huge in the sense that in next two decades, the 20 percent of the population of the US would fall in the age group over 65; they will need to spend huge sum towards their healthcare needs. It is quite inconvenient for senior citizens to visit specialist's office frequently for diagnosis. The online model certainly offers a great promise to them for early diagnosis of the disease and the treatment process in their cozy home settings. Patients at rural and many isolated locations do not get services of specialists in the vicinity. They have to often travel several miles before they can meet a specialist. Often, this results into delay in diagnosis and the treatment process. Online healthcare services have come to them as boon for not only their precious time is saved but also their illnesses can be diagnosed without any delay. Early diagnosis always gives way to faster recovery and the patient is saved off from a lot of inconvenience. In the process, they need to spend less and also, they can get second opinion too if required. Many states in the US impose medical licensing barriers but the same is not imposed on PCPs and they are free to consult any of the specialists on behalf of their patients and that is where online services of the American Well can help fill the void. Answer 4. Online healthcare delivery model is new to patients, PCPs and specialists. Providers such as nursing homes, hospitals, health clinics are focused on providing acute care. Moreover, in all 990,000 physicians operate in the US and almost 40 percent of them are generalists who usually serve as the first point of contact to their patients. Online services are helpful in taking consultation with the specialists rather than as first line of contacts. Moreover, the whole gamut of activities related to online healthcare are under evolutionary phase. Besides, there are host of security issues also involved while delivering online healthcare services. Legal liabilities can put the company and healthcare provider into back foot if they fail to safeguard their patients’ privacy from the ever active online hackers. It is pertinent to note here that most insurers refused to cover the cost of online services mainly for the reasons attributed to privacy, security and patient demands. The compatibility with HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) is an issue that bothers all including insurance companies, government payors, clearing houses, hospitals, nursing homes. Any lapses can put them into dire trouble. In view of the above, as a strategic initiative, it will be prudent for American Well to focus on core target market rather than launching many products in a single go. The market will advance and mature over time. The American Well’s online service platform is unique and innovative product and its success to its core market is essential before it can spread its wings to other segments of the market. One of the important marketing concepts also specifies that it is essential to focus on core markets and consolidate there before proceeding to other segments of the market. In fact, other segments of the market will follow as a natural corollary in due course of time. Work-Cited Ofek, Elie and Laufer, Ron. American Well: The Doctor Will E-See You Now. Harvard Business School. Boston. Read More