PediaQ: The Uber of Healthcare?

About two months ago I discovered a new, innovative company that is creatively disrupting the healthcare industry. As a bonus, this unique startup is facilitating, nay, promoting the expert care provided by pediatric nurse practitioners. I know! I’m so excited too!

But let’s back up for a second. What do I mean by uber? Uber is a transportation network company that started in 2009 out of San Francisco. They introduced the concept of letting passengers book the nearest cab through a smartphone app, then track the taxi on a map as it approaches. After the ride, Uber automatically pays the driver from the customer’s digital credit card. The experience is simple, cost effective, customer-centered, and efficient (hmm….reminds me of some recommendations made by the Institute of Medicine). 

In short, Uber turned the world of taxi cabs upside down. Since Uber’s launch, other industries have replicated this creative business model (Airbnb for example), a trend now known as “Uberification.”

So Where’s the Uberification of Healthcare?

This is where it starts getting really exciting! I have been on a personal treasure hunt to find the best example of uberifing healthcare for the past few years, and then along came PediaQ! PediaQ is an on-demand urgent care solution that employs pediatric nurse practitioners. Watch this video to see how it works:

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYGLKgRm6SI[/embedyt]

PediaQ employs pediatric nurse practitioners (woo!) who provide concierge care for children. PediaQ nurse practitioners respond to parents via a smartphone app and arrive at their house shortly there after. These pediatric nurse practitioners spend a minimum of 30 minutes with each patient (so much better than the typical urgent care visit) providing expert medical care. 

PediaQ fees include $150/visit during standard hours and $250/visit after hours; however, the patient’s insurance may refund the cost. Compare this with a typical urgent care fee ($500) or emergency room fee ($2,000+); patients and the healthcare system as a whole are looking at significant cost savings. 

In their seminal publication, Crossing the Quality Chasm, the Institute of Medicine defined six aims for healthcare quality improvement: safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable. Clearly, PediaQ built their business with the vision of achieving these improvement aims. I can imagine the Institute of Medicine celebrating: one small step for nurse practitioners, one giant leap for the healthcare system! 

Finally, the Uberification of healthcare is here, and it’s promoting the important role of nurse practitioners along the way! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Nurses have been innovating since the dawn of our profession. PediaQ… Nice work! 

Learn more about PediaQ on their website, and be sure to follow them on Twitter and Instagram and like them on Facebook. As nurses, we need to support a company that supports us. Thank you PediaQ!