Health clinic “cubes” offer virtual doctor's visits in Ontario pharmacies

The doctor is in . . . the pharmacy? New health clinic “cubes” will offer virtual care to patients in three Ontario pharmacies that are trying out the technology. The cubicle-sized boxes, called H3 Health Cubes, are made by UniDoc Health. They will be available in independent pharmacies in Wallaceburg, Scarborough, and Etobicoke, as part of a deal with OnPharm-United. If successful, they might be expanded to more than 300 sites, including hospitals, pharmacies, community centres, government institutions and care facilities. “We want to remove barriers between the physicians and the patient,” chief executive officer Antonio Baldassarre told ITWorldCanada. As part of that, the cubes are wheelchair accessible, and include captions and a keyboard to interact with the doctor. They are also Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) approved. To use the private cubes, patients can book a time in advance or simply walk in. They begin their appointment through an iPad, and communicate through a large screen. If an appointment is available, it will begin with a nurse, who takes the patient's weight, height, blood pressure and vitals, and then will proceed to a doctor. The data collected is stored in an electronic medical record system, and patients can be prescribed medication on the spot. The boxes also include medical equipment, resolving one of the limitations of standard virtual doctor’s visits. “What the pandemic has done was really drive most clinics or doctors’ offices to either on the phone or a Zoom call. Some of the issues with that is that the system has limited diagnostic capabilities,” Baldassarre said. That includes a spirometer, blood pressure cuff, oximeter, otoscope and stethoscope. Those instruments are used by the patient, under the guidance of their nurse or doctor. The videos and results from them are sent back, in real-time, to the medical practitioner. That convenience will appeal to people, Baldassarre said. The initiative is looking to make it so that, “someone can literally just go to the local corner pharmacy to do these kinds of tests rapidly without having to commute and without the long appointments.” Read: Virtual care in Canada: An update from organized medicine

Health clinic “cubes” offer virtual doctor's visits in Ontario pharmacies

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