Telemedicine may have reached a new peak with the latest development from the U.K. Meet MedicSpot, the self-proclaimed “most affordable, easiest and, quickest way to see a private general practitioner.” The catch? Your doctor will live in a kiosk. These little clinics are located in pharmacies throughout the U.K. and are meant to virtually connect you to a real live doctor.
What’s more, all the kiosks come complete with the medical equipment you’d need for an examination, including a blood pressure cuff, stethoscope, pulse oximeter, thermometer, and a camera (which lets your doctors “see” into your throat and ears”).
Don’t worry — if you need to use these devices, MedicSpot promises that “a pharmacy staff member is always available to give you a helping hand if needed.” You can even get a prescription from your healthcare provider by way of the kiosk.
You don’t need to make an appointment in order to see one of MedicSpot’s kiosk-based doctors. Simply visit your nearest MedicSpot pharmacy (you can see the full list of locations on the MedicSpot website) and get a walk-in consultation with a U.K. registered general practitioner “within a matter of minutes,” the company notes.
MedicSpot claims that it’s prepared to “deal with about 95 percent of things you would normally see your [doctor] for.” What’s more, these kiosks can also provide you with sick notes, referral letters, and general healthcare advice. Thus far, however, the company notes that about 33 percent of the consults it’s made has dealt with coughs, colds, and ear infections. And about a fifth of visits have been booked by non-U.K. natives who may not want to deal with going to a real hospital.
A consultation with MedicSpot will set you back about $40, and ought to take just 10 to 15 minutes.
If you find that you’re facing a real medical emergency, MedicSpot is not the best solution, of course. “MedicSpot is not an emergency medical service,” the company notes in its FAQ. Furthermore, as MedicSpot doesn’t have access to your medical records (not yet, at least), the company points out that it “may not be able to help you with certain chronic conditions where our doctors need your medical records at hand.” But if this turns out to be the case, your kiosk-based doctor will let you know and you won’t be charged for the visit.
