Telehealth dials in the age of Omnichannel Health

As we raced to close this issue of Drug Store News, it sure had been a busy week for telehealth news, and by that measure, no headline was bigger than the news that Walgreens had decided to expand its partnership with Web-MD into three more states — Illinois, Washington and Colorado. Walgreens and WebMD first introduced the joint telehealth venture back in December, initially launching in California and Michigan. Apparently, that was a successful test run. According to Forbes, the two plan to have the service available in 25 states by the end of the year.



Not alone, news broke a day later that Wegmans was testing a telehealth concept in four markets — Dewitt, N.Y., Niagara Falls, N.Y., Fairfax, Va., and Allentown, Pa. According to the Syracuse Post-Standard, through the Doctor on Demand service, users can see doctors and psychologists online via their desktops, smart-phones and tablets for about $40; important, those without access to their own technology can use the service via an in-store kiosk at Wegmans.



The kiosk is an important element of the model, as it keeps community pharmacy at the center of healthcare delivery.



Similarly, Rite Aid has been working on a telehealth pilot with its partner, HealthSpot, in three Ohio markets — Cleveland, Dayton and Akron — which also has a strong in-store presence with the HealthSpot Health station, a self-contained, private consultation “pod.”



It all points to a new “O” word for the industry to buzz about for a while. Hold onto your iPads as we enter the brave new world of Omnichannel Health.



“Our society truly values anytime, any where convenience,” said Adam Pelegrini, Walgreens divisional VP digital health. “And with a growing need for access to affordable healthcare services, we believe telehealth solutions can play an important role in helping to improve patient outcomes, and continues our mission to provide a seamless, omnichannel digital health experience.”



Besides being a really cool thing to say that makes me feel smarter just writing about it now, what exactly does Omnichannel Health mean, and what does it look like?



Pelegrini expanded a bit in an April interview. “As we look at digital health, we see it as an omnichannel experience, meaning that it’s not just about the digital technology and the neat and cool things around apps,” Pelegrini told Healthcare IT News. “It’s about how all of those things layer on top of our brick-and-mortar stores.”