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Of all of the potential applications for telepresence technologies, many of the most exciting have appeared in the arena of healthcare. We’ve already seen telepresence robots enabling remote patient-doctor relationships within a hospital, and now a collaboration between HealthSpot and MedAvail will see the technology used to bridge even great physical distances.

The user experience will begin at a HealthSpot station — an innovation we spotted early last year. These are private, walk-in kiosks that offer patients instant access to medical diagnostics from board-certified doctors via videoconferencing and interactive, digital tele health tools. The stations will be located in remote locations where there is no existing retail pharmacy, along with a MedAvail MedCenter — which is currently in pilot phase in Illinois. After visiting the HealthSpot station, a provider will have the ability to send the users’ e-prescription to the MedCenter for fulfillment. It is this MedCenter which will then support the dispensing of prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications to the customer.

Steve Cashman, founder and CEO of HealthSpot, comments: “HealthSpot is dedicated to increasing accessibility while creating a truly integrated healthcare experience for the consumer. This experience means being able to receive care from a provider and then easily be able to fill the prescribed meds after the visit and consult with a pharmacist if needed. MedAvail allows consumers to get pharmacy services in non-pharmacy locations and is the perfect addition to HealthSpot’s platform for extended reach of convenient, affordable healthcare across the country.”

As telepresence continues to push the boundaries in healthcare, how else could this technology be used to better serve the public in other industries?