At some point, every industry undergoes a paradigm shift, whether people want it to or not. While there will always be those who oppose change simply because they don’t understand it, it’s all part of the cycle that keeps the world turning. One of stalwarts of society has always been health care, and hospitals are inarguably at the center. However, that might not always be the case, as a new initiative begun by the Mayo Clinic seems to indicate.
The Mayo Clinic, in conjunction with Medically Home, is changing the hospital paradigm, creating a healthcare model that includes more at-home advanced care treatment that has previously only been offered at hospitals. As one of the leading healthcare companies in the U.S., the Mayo Clinic is certainly able to take the bull by the horns and facilitate change. By teaming up with the tech company, it is creating a partnership that can have a lasting impact on how healthcare is viewed.
According to a statement by the Mayo Clinic, “Under the direction of Mayo Clinic physicians, advanced care at home offers comprehensive and restorative health care services including infusions, skilled nursing, medications, laboratory and imaging services, behavioral health, and rehabilitation services from a network of paramedics, nurses and an ecosystem of support team members.” The idea is to put health care where it’s needed, when it’s needed, and provide safer, more comfortable surroundings for the patients.
The Mayo Clinic has already invested in Medically Home after signing over a check for an undisclosed amount last year. The tech company has also received other investments, like the $10 million it received from Cardinal Health. The investments are being used, in part, to help fund “virtual hospitals,” which essentially turn a patient’s home into a temporary hospital.
Dr. John Halamka, the president of Mayo Clinic Platform (MCP), explains, “Offering comprehensive, acute and restorative level care to patients in the comfort and safety of the home is an expectation of patients. Advances in technology and platform business models allow us to give patients the next generation of medical care and experience consumers expect. It is a shifting paradigm in the health care system and Mayo Clinic intends to lead this new option for patients.” The MCP is the company’s answer to innovation in the field of digital healthcare, and Halamka began leading the efforts this past January.
Medically Home sees this as an excellent opportunity to redefine health care. It’s a chance to “shift advanced medical care to patients’ homes safely” and provide “an integrated technology platform and network of in-home services” under the expert purview of Mayo doctors. Medically Home executive chairman Raphael Rakowski adds, “The work we will be doing together in this model will have a profound impact on how we all look at the future of medical care.”
