HealthSpot Inc. telemedicine booths have opened in 25 Rite Aid Corp. pharmacies in Ohio, the biggest retail test so far for the Dublin company.
Dublin-based HealthSpot and Rite Aid (NYSE:RAD) formed the collaboration in November, and first announced that booths opened at the end of May in 25 stores in Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Dayton and Springfield.
Terms of the contract aren’t disclosed, but the Camp Hill, Pennsylvania-based pharmacy chain will evaluate customer feedback from this pilot project before determining if it will install the booths in more stores, spokeswoman Ashley Flower said. The first weeks of feedback have been positive, she said.
HealthSpot’s enclosed booths have a high-definition teleconferencing connection with on-call physicians, as well as digitally connected medical instruments such as stethoscope, blood pressure cuff and high-definition cameras so the doctor can nearly replicate an in-person exam for most minor complaints. An attendant helps operate the equipment and sanitize the booth between visits. The booth takes up less square footage and has lower operating costs than a full retail clinic staffed by an advanced-practice nurse or physician assistant.
The Ohio Rite Aid booths are served by physicians from Cleveland Clinic, Kettering Health Network and University Hospitals of Cleveland, including pediatricians from UH Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital.
Date: July 20, 2015