A New Dimension for Telehealth > E-Commerce

Telemedicine has been with us for sixty years.¹ The Covid-19 pandemic of 2020 has brought this capability to the forefront as it is now an accepted component for the delivery of healthcare expertise.

Where do we go from here?

So many new opportunities. With Teladoc’s recent purchase of Livongo there will be more incorporation of remote patient monitoring. The largest telemedicine companies are actively raising money and more acquisitions are to be expected. I expect to see more collaboration with companies developing Artificial Intelligence tools and with academic medical centers focused on population health.

There’s been another aspect of telemedicine/telehealth which has been partially under the radar. You can use the technology to sell things, especially things which require a prescription.

Simple Contacts allows you to order contact lenses online: https://www.simplecontacts.com/

Several companies offer online birth control:

https://www.nurx.com/

https://www.simplehealth.com/

Other offer solutions for Erectile dysfunction and hair loss:

https://www.getroman.com/

So, what about dental products? Certainly, companies are offering teeth aligners:

https://smiledirectclub.com/

https://www.invisalign.com/

The TeleDentists (www.theteledentists.com) has a network of 300 dentists providing virtual consults for patients 24/7/365. These dentists can all write prescriptions. We are about to start working with Saliwell (https://saliwell.com/) to provide the SaliPen, a leading edge medical device that treats dry mouth. Another partner is providing Speed2Treat (https://www.speed2treat.com, a home healing kit for patients with head, neck and jaw pain. We are also starting a pilot program with Proctor & Gamble for their SmileAdvisor program (https://smileadvisor.com/) which is looking to match millennials with dental professionals and also promote P&G products. We have also spoken with a company which is using 3D printing for denture replacement.

Where does the industry go from here? Medical products and devices targeted to specific diseases or age groups.   Online wellness and education either for sale or bundled into offerings from insurance companies and medical groups. New opportunities emerge regularly, and it will be exciting to be part of future offerings.

Contact

Howard Reis, CEO, The TeleDentists

1. In 1959, the University of Nebraska used interactive telemedicine to transmit neurological examinations, which is widely considered the first case of a real-time video telemedicine