NewYork-Presbyterian Expands Access to Care Through On-Demand Services

// By Melanie Graham //

It’s Monday afternoon and you’re feeling under the weather. You have the entire week ahead and a packed schedule, but a doctor’s visit is in order. Should you take time off and try to make an appointment with your physician? Or would it be better to find a few hours and head to the urgent care clinic?

In today’s fast-paced society, it’s not easy to fit medical appointments into a schedule, especially for non-emergency health concerns such as a cold, the flu, or back pain.

That’s where a program like NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) OnDemand comes in.

NYP OnDemand aims to “improve access to NYP’s world-class care,” whether it’s on a phone, tablet, or computer. Launched in 2016, the program works in collaboration with Weill Cornell Medicine and ColumbiaDoctors.

Now, thanks to a partnership with Walgreens/Duane Reade, that quick physician access is also available through telehealth kiosks in select Walgreens/Duane Reade pharmacy locations. The kiosks, which are in private, secure rooms within the pharmacy area, provide instant exams, diagnosis, and treatment for non-life-threatening illnesses and injuries.

The first kiosk opened December 2017.

“The kiosks extend the reach of NYP and enable patients to consult with board-certified emergency medicine physicians in real time,” says NYP director of innovations Shauna Coyne. “We wanted to bring care to patients anywhere at any time.”

NYP is creating a technology-enabled infrastructure to extend care into the community. With its suite of on-demand services, patients have better access to care, and are more likely to use the appropriate care setting, reducing the cost of care. How is your organization meeting patient demand for access outside your four walls?

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