Is the future of health care focused on convenience and affordability for patients?

With this emphasis in mind, we have seen many corporate opticals of late partnering with health hubs—from Walmart and For Eyes at Walgreens to Rite Aid and CVS MinuteClinics. These health hubs provide collaborative care with other health care providers to deliver a better patient experience, compliance, and affordable health care.

What exactly does this mean for the future of optometry?

Great, innovative change will come in corporate optometry. This new model will allow O.D.s to practice full-scope optometry and be more embedded in a medical setting than ever before.

A career in corporate optometry could be even more fulfilling with the increased volume of patients, collaboration with other health care professionals, and practicing full scope with the latest technology.

WHAT ARE HEALTH HUBS?

Looking to the future, health hubs will provide the patient with access to multiple health care professionals—from the general practitioner to the optometrist—all under one roof.

One notable benefit to this type of collaborative care is that it may well provide better patient compliance and, ultimately, more positive patient outcomes.

Additionally, in today’s world, the all-under-one-roof format of health care hubs might make patients feel more secure. Generally, these facilities are large with multiple entrances. Patients are able to enter through one door and exit another.

Check-in and checkout areas will be in different locations of the building to minimize patient exposure. Patients will not be in close contact with each other, and social distancing can be encouraged because the offices are generally large.

Providers within the facility can work together to minimize multiple appointments for patients and have curbside or drive-thru pickup for multiple products.

Walgreens has debuted one example of this health care format.

“Walgreens has expanded health care services to include multiple specialties like immediate care services, diagnostic lab work, weight-loss management, and optical services at select locations,” says Janaki Patel, O.D., chief doctor of optometry at For Eyes at Walgreens.

Dr. Patel notes that building a health care corridor within Walgreens has been instrumental in improving quality of care and convenient access to health services.

“As a provider, it is rewarding to practice in a location where you can easily collaborate with other health care professionals in order to improve health outcomes for patients,” she says. “Having an on-site pharmacy that can instantly process electronic prescriptions to provide both prescription and over-the-counter products has greatly improved patient compliance and management of health conditions.”

Additionally, Dr. Patel notes that a full range of eyecare services are now offered at For Eyes at Walgreens locations, including comprehensive eye exams and same-day urgent exams. And, electronic medical records and advanced instrumentation like a digital refraction system have elevated the patient experience.

“Partnering with For Eyes has provided access to additional resources that include a wide variety of popular designer frames, like Ray-Ban and Kate Spade, and the ability to process benefits for most vision plans,” she explains. “There are multiple synergistic benefits from both Walgreens and For Eyes in this hybrid model that have allowed us to better care for our patients.”

AFFORDABILITY IS KEY

Walmart has also expanded to health care hubs—and it prides its business model on having the most affordable health care.

According to the company, its new Dallas, GA, health hub offers a wide variety of medical services. “The Walmart Health Center in Dallas, Georgia, is working with partners to provide key services such as primary care, labs, X-ray and EKG, counseling, dental, optical, hearing, and community health education, all at low, transparent pricing, regardless of customers’ insurance status,” according to Walmart.

For example, diabetics will have access to their primary care physician, pharmacist, dentist, and eyecare professional under one roof—and, thus, better access to care. Offering convenient and affordable health care will provide a critical role in optometry in this new medical model.

According to Walmart, the health hub also features wellness resources: “The Walmart Health Center includes specialized community health resources, online education, and in-center workshops to educate the Dallas community about preventive health and wellness.”

ACCESSIBILITY IS ESSENTIAL

Another player in the health hub arena, CVS Health, reports that it is looking to expand to 1,500 health hub locations in 2021.

The company states: “With personalized pharmacy support programs and expanded MinuteClinic services, HealthHUB teams are improving care for patients managing chronic conditions, with a focus on recommending next-best clinical actions and driving medical costs savings. The HealthHUB store format also includes a variety of pathways to nutritional health with one-on-one and group counseling delivered by an in-store dietitian, as well as access to weight loss programs.”

Families are able to have wellness visits under this model—and routine wellness visits will help prevent future illnesses and be proactive in diagnosing and treating illnesses that run in the family.

THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE

The health hub goal in sight is that collaborative and affordable health care will create a better patient experience. Better patient experiences will increase patient retention and patient outcomes.

With increased competition in the industry, patient experience is vital to be able to compete with others—convenient hours for medical visits and shorter wait times for emergency care. In today’s world, every advantage counts. COT!

MARIA SAMPALIS, O.D., is the founder of the Corporate Optometry group on Facebook and corporateoptometry.com . Currently, she is owner of Sampalis Eye Care in Cranston, RI, and has a sublease at For Eyes in Rhode Island.