The popular ride-hailing company, Uber, has announced the creation of its new service for healthcare- Uber Health. The service is a desktop platform that will enable healthcare providers and doctors to make available rides for patients who are most likely to miss their next medical appointments because they can’t get to them.
Uber Health is a transit service of the Uber ride-hailing company, showing its commitment to venture into the healthcare sector in the United States. The service is offering an option for patients who may not otherwise make appointments due to the fact that they may not have transportation.
The Uber Health Service is something that has been in a testing phase since the beginning of July last year. As many as 100 hospitals, clinics, and therapy centers, have signed up for the new service. The Uber Health Service will be available to manage rides set up by doctor’s office, or by other healthcare providers and bill them accordingly.
The use of the Uber app has replaced medical shuttles and taxis. The only service that will not be part of this new addition is the ambulance.
Some of the benefits to the Uber Health App include:
- On-Demand Scheduling
According to a SCI Solutions survey, missed appointments are responsible for over +$150 billion dollars in annual losses for healthcare providers. “No-Show” rates make up for as much as 40%. However, with a reliable service like Uber Health, that rate will drop significantly as more people are now able to afford transportation.
- Destination Tracking
Uncertainty is part of the problem that healthcare facilities often have with taxis and bringing patients to their medical appointments. “With taxis, you have to hand out a voucher, and the worst is you aren’t sure where the person is going. Moreover, it cost 20% to 40% more,” concluded, Chris Needman, a Healthcare Provider involve in testing the Uber Health Service.
But with Uber Health, the story is different. The service allows hospital staff to assess which patients are at risk for missing vital appointments, and from there can provide them with pick-up and drop-off rides—all at the expense of the hospital.
- Help in Realizing Patients Goals
The Uber Health ride-hailing service allows healthcare providers to assist patients in meeting their healthcare goals—an essential factor for regulators when scoring how well a facility performs.
Lyft, one of Uber’s rival in the hailing business also offers a similar service known as “Concierge,” which enables healthcare providers to provide rides for their patients as well. Uber also operates another service called UberWAV, which enables providers to order wheelchair accessible vans through pilot programs in Chicago, Toronto, Austin, and London, as stated in Uber’s official website.
The service provided by Uber and Lyft in the healthcare industry makes for a revolution that tactically removes traditional transportation providers such as taxis and shuttle services.