When Amazon first started online in 1995, its website sold books, quickly creating a large enough business that brick and mortar booksellers were soon in trouble. Once people started going to the website regularly, other items popped up. Electronics, clothing, pet toys, jewelry, and soon enough household goods.
In 2005 Amazon started offering subscription service, called “Prime,” that had benefits including faster shipping, preferred pricing and even advance notice of sales. Further enticements included streaming movies, music and ebooks. Years later, Amazon has revolutionized the digital marketplace, disrupting the mainstream shopping malls, and become the largest internet retailer in the world.
So, what might Amazon do to health care? The combined efforts of JPMorgan’s Jaime Dimon, Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos promise to shake up the industry. Some say it’s going to lead to a complete disruption in the medical world order.
It’s about time!
Amazon is in a unique position to disrupt the delivery of health care — in a good way.
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Our current health care system is too expensive, inefficient, and does not produce the best results. People in the U.S. are not the healthiest in the world, despite spending almost $10,000 per patient per year.
Amazon has the power to change all of that.
In the world of Amazon, price is transparent. There are no hidden fees. What you see listed is what you pay. There is no doubt about the cost, and all of the previous purchases are easily searchable at the click of a few buttons. In order to make purchasing easy, there is a simple one-click option.
Amazon is also the world’s largest cloud computing services. In addition, Amazon has also purchased Whole Foods.
How might these acquisitions and services help the health care industry?
First of all, medical records are a mess. Although there are a few electronic medical record systems, not everyone uses them, and they don’t communicate easily with one another, and are often difficult to use. But with the cloud, medical charts could be stored in cyberspace, and accessed by patients and providers alike.
Rather than having only doctors or other providers enter in the information, patients can keep their own medical history up to date. They can list their complaints for a medical visit, and type in the information in advance, cutting down on the inefficiencies of having providers type in information later that might not be accurate, or recalled in enough detail.
By keeping a running log of the history of tests, etc, Amazon can use its size as leverage to force other electronic medical record providers to share data in a format that is most conducive to keeping records up to date, and easily searchable. No more duplication of the same scans because no one has the results from the first series of tests.
Cloud computing also allows for real-time interpretation of images, and rather than having to bring films, or pictures on discs, it’s even easier to ask for a reading from more than one provider, if an expert consultation is needed.
Full implementation of the digital platform opportunities is essential to lowering the overall costs in health care, and limiting the unnecessary costs of duplication of services due to lack of a comprehensive medical record system.
Amazon already delivers groceries in many areas, and has acquired Whole Foods.
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Second, the days of going to a doctor’s office for simple conditions might just be over. There are already platforms to do online care. Here in the islands, Hawaii Medical Service Association has one. Doc Now provides local online care with urgent care providers, it’s not a new system, but it’s still underutilized. What if Amazon provided online portals for all of their patients to use, and connect with doctors all over the world?
Much of what happens during a routine office visit is based on a patient’s history, test results and the latest technology available. Digital images of things that would otherwise be observed in person, could be transmitted as well.
The trusted old stethoscope has been transformed into much more, but why not develop apps or connectors to smart phones that can simulate the physical exam? Sure, this won’t work for everyone, but if people could have access to doctors 24/7 all over the world, in all different time zones, this might just increase patient satisfaction, help avoid unnecessary ER visits and lower the overall cost of care.
The third advantage an Amazon healthcare company might have is its shipping potential.
Amazon has mastered the art of delivery, and has recently made overtures to develop its own shipping company, rather than relying on the current established systems like UPS or the post office.
With that level of efficiency, Amazon can revolutionize the shipping of medications. By combining with other pharmaceutical suppliers, or even creating its own network, Amazon can take advantage of its current distribution channels.
There might as well be health care supplies in these bags along with food.
Glenn Fleishman/Flickr.com
But what about combining that with regular deliveries of healthy foods, along with medically recommended supplements. Nutritionists can provide real-time consultations, and help direct future food choices, and also assist with the foods being delivered to the house.
Amazon has recently acquired Whole Foods, and has the ability to send the food recommended by the nutritionist directly to the home.
Many of the current diagnoses of disease can be improved by lifestyle changes, which include not only medications but also exercise. Fitness trackers can also incorporate the calories expended and give real-time information about how much exercise is needed on a daily basis. This can all be incorporated into a patient’s medical chart, providing comprehensive information for all health care providers. Exercise equipment can even be delivered directly to the home, along with monitoring and reminders to make sure it’s used.
Lastly, Amazon has already proven the viability of subscription services such as Prime. The next target for Amazon and its affiliates may be to provide their own health insurance plan through a concierge-type plan with subscribers.
Faster service, universal medical records and shipment of food and medications may just make Amazon the largest health retailer in the world.
Health care has had decades to change, and although there are moves in the right direction, the time is up to figure out a better mechanism of integrated health care delivery with lower costs and better outcomes.
A company like Amazon may be in the best position to disrupt the current way of thinking about health care and transform the medical world in ways no one anticipated.
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