Doctors delight in bringing healing to their patients. In some cases, this involves prescribing a course of treatment that addresses a troubling symptom or lingering condition. In others, it may simply involve providing the patient with the information that they need to feel at ease about their health. Regardless of the reason for their visit, the doctor’s primary focus is providing relief for their patients.
In many cases, the solution presented by the doctor will involve a recommendation for a retail product, such as a vitamin supplement or a first aid product, that can be obtained at a pharmacy. Patients who receive such a recommendation walk out of their doctor’s office knowing the next step they must take to experience healing. However, some doctors are leveraging advances in technology to make the process of obtaining retail products even easier.
The options for obtaining retail products
Doctors regularly recommend a range of retail medical products to their patients, including remedies like calcium supplements, pain relief creams, or cough suppressants. In some cases, patients can obtain these products from their doctors before even leaving the office. More often, however, patients need to shop for the item at an online marketplace or brick-and-mortar pharmacy.
Shopping for retail products poses some challenges to patients. The sheer number of options that the patient will encounter can lead to confusion. Even with something as simple as eye drops, which doctors recommend to treat a number of medical conditions, patients shopping for products will discover a wide variety of options. When shopping online the possibilities can number in the thousands, which can make finding the right product challenging.
Improving options by automating the process
To streamline the process of obtaining retail products, some doctors are turning to automated systems that identify the best products and send instant notifications with pertinent information. These systems provide patients with text or email messages that allow them to click through to the correct products. In addition, they often allow doctors to curate a collection of products that they believe to provide the best results and the best value.
These systems not only do away with the confusion and frustration that patients can feel when trying to secure products, but they also increase the likelihood that patients will comply with a doctor’s recommendations. By providing a clear understanding of the products that are needed and providing an outlet where they can be easily and affordably obtained, doctors can help their patients to be one step closer to obtaining the relief they are seeking.
The ideal scenario provides the patient with a process for securing recommended items before leaving the doctor’s office. While this can pose a challenge for doctors in terms of energy and expense, the latest digital tools provide doctors with a solution by automating the process and dramatically reducing the effort required. By leveraging the latest technology solutions, doctors can give their patients a one-click option that takes the stress out of securing the products that they need to support their healing.
Adam Miscik
Adam Miscik is the Founder and CEO of MedBot, a digital marketplace that integrates with EHR systems to automate the process associated with recommending and selling medical retail products. MedBot leverages an AI-powered marketing platform to help physicians sell retail products directly to their patients, fostering the creation of the ideal consumer-patient experience.
