Hospital medical care and referral system with clinics at off-site locations

Abstract

A hospital system and method for providing medical care and patient referral in which a clinic is located off-site from a hospital at a facility which is open to the public for non-medical activity. The clinic is affiliated with the hospital such that the clinic provides medical care of a type and quality required by the hospital and is obligated to refer patients to said hospital. Patrons at the facility can seek and receive medical care at the clinic and can be referred by the clinic to the hospital.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] This invention relates to a system for providing medical care. More particularly, this invention relates to a system of providing medical care and patient referrals to hospitals through hospital affiliated clinics located at off-site facilities or stores which are accessible to the public for non-medical activities. The clinics are staffed by medical personnel, including licensed physicians. According to the invention, people who enter the off-site facility for a non-medical activity also now have access to the clinic and are able to utilize the clinic to receive medical care from the medical personnel at the clinic. When the medical care required is beyond that which can be provided by the clinic, the clinic personnel refer the person to the affiliated hospital. [0002] In the United States, patients usually obtain medical care and are referred to hospitals in a variety of ways. In a typical situation, a patient will obtain primary medical care fro...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015] The system thus provides an affiliated hospital with access to pedestrian traffic that it would not otherwise have, i.e., those people engaging in non-medical activities at the facility. Because of the presence and convenience of the clinic, certain of these people may choose to seek medical care at the clinic. This care will result in referrals to the affiliated hospital in the event a medical condition is found that requires hospital treatment. Accordingly, the system provides more convenient care for patients, while at the same time increasing the patient base and referrals to the affiliated hospital.

Problems solved by technology

Many people refer themselves to emergency rooms because they do not have medical insurance or a private doctor.

In any case, emergency rooms usually require a long wait especially for less critical medical problems, and thus are often not an efficient way for a hospital or the patient to attend to routine medical problems.

While these traditional ways of gaining access to patients have worked in the past for hospitals in the United States, the competition to attract patients has become intense.

Additionally, in many foreign countries, such as, for example, Mexico, there is not an infrastructure of licensed physicians with private practices to act as a patient referral source for hospitals.

Private hospitals in these countries thus have a greater difficulty in reaching the population they serve.

However, in spite of the convenience offered, medical kiosks are limited in the medical procedures they can provide (e.g., physical exams and medical screenings and prescribing some medications) and the medical diagnoses they can make, since they are staffed only by nurse practitioners.

Also, these kiosks are privately owned by independent companies that are not readily recognizable to the public they are trying to attract.

As a result, while these operations offer an alternative for obtaining medical treatment, they fall far short of the care that can be provided by a doctor or in a hospital emergency room.

Also, the lack of recognition that might otherwise attract a person to a doctor or hospital makes the kiosks less attractive to the public they are trying to serve.

While the system of the '761 patent permits a more accurate diagnosis because of doctor participation, the limited contact over the telephone and by video between the doctor and patient is undesirable.

Additionally, people may not be motivated to use these kiosks because of not knowing who will be providing their medical treatment.

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