Depending upon where you’re located in the U.S., the ability to access affordable outpatient Healthcare is becoming increasingly more challenging. Whether it’s limited clinician availability, expensive insurance premiums, or simply remote locations too difficult for some to access, there needs to be an easier way to provide patients with basic healthcare.

The Artefact Group

Artefact Group – a Seattle-based design firm – has come up with a revolutionary concept that merges both artificial intelligence and medicine. Aim is a self-driving mini-clinic providing self-guided diagnostics, telemedicine consults, access to common pharmaceuticals and if needed, emergency transport to the hospital.

With a company mission to “make the future of healthcare mobile,” the Artefact Group wants to integrate machine learning technology into the in-home diagnostic process. Capable of driving right to your house, the Aim mini-clinic can perform Thermography, breath analysis, respiratory and cardiac rhythm testing, etc. In addition, Artefact’s self-driving clinic has the ability to speak to a series of connected in-home smart devices that provided a quick snapshot of the patient’s current health situation.

“The mission of Aim is to close the data, experience and logistics gaps between home and clinical environments.”

Artificial Intelligence & Medicine

From collecting data from the bathroom scale to scanning prescription meds, an instant medical record can be obtained and then updated with just a short visit. Equipped with state-of-the-art AI technology capable of tracking a person’s health data, each new visit adds more information to a patient’s medical records without them having to leave their house. If a serious issue is detected during one of the visits, Aim’s intuitive system would connect the patient with an on-call specialist and/or transport them directly to the emergency room.

Ideal for low-risk patient monitoring, Aim is a 21st-century solution that not only reduces the strain on hospital resources but it also bridges the gap between clinician and patient. Just imagine being able to step into a mobile clinic parked outside your home and have all your vitals measured (blood pressure, heart rate, weight, body fat, BMI) in a safe, autonomous environment. Or simply pick up a prescription without having to wait in line at a pharmacy – just step outside your front door.

Mobile Healthcare

This is a win-win for both clinics and the patient. By significantly reducing the drain on hospital resources, physicians, nurses, and other healthcare workers can focus on practicing medicine instead of worry about endless administrative tasks. Mobile clinics would free up the much-needed time to improve patient-level care for the seriously ill instead of filling up waiting rooms with low-risk patients.
For those unable to pay for premium insurance policies, this is an ideal solution. Aim will provide the baseline health monitoring and alert you when something serious comes up in your next drive-by checkup.

With a collection of new medical devices (Clarius and Thermo) receiving FDA approval and on the cusp of hitting the consumer market, smart technology will be instrumental in driving the healthcare industry forward. Just this year a gadget-friendly, subscription-based healthcare clinic opened in San Francisco – offering an easy access, cost effective solution to outpatient hospital visits.

Changing the Healthcare Industry

In order for a “good idea” to become a revolutionary technology, it has to disrupt an entire industry. Getting the healthcare sector to accept an entirely new method of administering outpatient care to patients is no easy task. This would shake up a century-old healthcare system. As brilliant as Artefact Group’s mobile clinic idea is on paper, this is one of those concepts that will need a ton of backing – full regulatory approval – and the support of a super complicated health insurance system that is in complete disarray.

Sources: New Atlas, Artefact Group

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