Consultation in the clouds
UK-based telehealth organisation Now Healthcare Group (Now Healthcare) recently delivered a GP consultation to a patient who was flying at 35,000 feet on a long-haul flight to Dubai. The consultation, connecting the airborne patient directly to a doctor back in the UK, was delivered via the company’s smartphone-based Dr Now app, which Now Healthcare said ‘made history by delivering, literally, a cloud-based consultation’.
Marcus Dolan had been suffering from a chest infection before heading on his business trip to Dubai. Unfortunately, three hours into his seven-hour flight, he realised that he had forgotten to pack the medicine he needed, and utilised the Dr Now app to connect to a GP with whom he had spoken a number of times in the past. Following the conversation, Now Healthcare was then able to use its network of pharmacies to arrange for a Dubai-based pharmacy to dispense the necessary medication. This took just a few hours, and a courier had delivered the medication to Marcus’s hotel by the time he arrived there after touching down.
“Illness amongst tourists and business flyers is common,” said Now Healthcare, “with studies showing that a significant number of us suffer from weekend or vacation sickness … 8.4 per cent of all flyers feel nauseous to some extent when airborne, whilst millions will feel anxious when it comes to travelling on a plane.”
Company founder Lee Dentith, meanwhile, said: “We were thrilled to hear about the successful consultation on an Emirates flight from London to Dubai – this is a major step forward for us as we look to make healthcare more available to everyone, everywhere.”