1. Primary Care
Late-night stomach pains? Burn yourself while cooking? A New York company called Sherpaa offers 24-7 access to physicians via a smartphone app and, if needed, a telephone. (Sherpaa contracts with companies, which provide the service as an employee benefit.) Cofounder Jay Parkinson, a pediatrician, says the virtual interaction resolves patients’ issues 70% of the time, saving the cost of emergencyroom visits. Even if you need surgery or other handson care, he says, Sherpaa can often schedule same-day treatment so you can bypass the ER.
2. Emergencies
In Mississippi, many rural hospitals lack the personnel to run fully staffed emergency departments. So they rely on the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s TelEmergency program, which provides remote video consults. Nursepractitioners at the rural facilities dial in to a central…
