This is a pretty neat concept and not without cost something of a special feature here at the Medical Quack. How often do we read about the shortage of doctors in the US and it does not seem to be getting any better. I had the opportunity to talk to a company that is doing just that, with a full clinic, some stocked with medications that only a remote switch can open for prescriptions. This concept is also used presently in a small way with planned parenthood clinics that open a drawer after a video conference for one medication, but this is the whole clinic.
This is a pretty neat concept and not without cost something of a special feature here at the Medical Quack. How often do we read about the shortage of doctors in the US and it does not seem to be getting any better. I had the opportunity to talk to a company that is doing just that, with a full clinic, some stocked with medications that only a remote switch can open for prescriptions. This concept is also used presently in a small way with planned parenthood clinics that open a drawer after a video conference for one medication, but this is the whole clinic.
So who’s buying these clinics?
Folks with a lot of money for starters. When you stop and think about folks like Bill Gates for an example and others who have a lot of money, would it make sense to have a clinic in your mansion? A lot of them have already done so. Some are like big hedge fund managers that was privacy and don’t want to venture out into the public for general care and may not want such items publicized.
The President does it and clinics as such are on board jets as well. This company was founded by doctors who cared for the President and thus the name Presidential Medical Formula.
Below is an image of what a bed room would look like. When you look further down you can see how this room changes and all the furniture swaps around and opens up all the medical equipment. When I first saw the video it reminded me of some of the James Bond movies as the furniture swirls around and medical devices come out.
I asked about how expensive are these things? Well they run from $500,000 for the base model all the way up to one individual who installed an entire operating room in his house and that person does not live in the US so you can guess where it might be located. The company in following with client privacy efforts does not disclose who their clients are and where the clinics are installed, again this part is for those who obviously have big funds to afford them.
Below is a picture that shows a pop up screen with the doctor ready to go to work with consulting the patient. You can see a few of the medical equipment items in the drawers. They are all built with the patient in mind to where the doctor instructs the patient on where to hold and use each on so the information can be relayed to his end.
One of the portable cameras cost around $4000.00 and is small enough to hold in 
As mentioned above there is one that is a full operating room and this is it, the image below and I was able to watch how this one is completely hidden, as all the clinics are located in houses but this one has an elevator that comes up out of the floor and transforms the room. We did not discuss details on the remote surgical procedures but you have probably read in the news the last couple of years how this is also becoming a possibility and has been practiced in some areas of the world. I believe if I remember correctly this was one of the most expensive installations ranging around $40 million and again it is not in the US.
The next level of expansion is to provide such clinics ready-made in ocean containers. We have all read about telehealth and mHealth and this is the next level up. We have seen some of this already with companies providing a van like Cisco has but it has not been constructed to the full automated level and that is where the company is with the full solution with just the patient and the MD remotely connected.
When you stop and think about it having an automated clinic in rural developing country areas, medical care becomes available in areas where there has been little or no presence. In addition using such contained services in some military operations is in the plan as well. Granted on the front line you are not going to replace emergency units but in other non-war zones this could work. If you have read this far, here’s a video that shows a room transformation.
This is pretty neat when you flip a switch and the medical equipment comes out of the cabinets and the doctor is in the mirror for the consultation. In some of the clinics the doctor is imaged right on the wall for a presence that pretty much brings the MD right into the room.
Again if you find this interesting and want additional information use the “contact me” email form at at the top of the Medical Quack and I can put you in touch. BD
