Single Patient Hospitals - the future?

Personal Hospital in the year 2107

The hottest trend in today's hospitals is single-patient rooms. This is a vast improvement over the large wards from a hundred years ago. They might have dozens of patients in one room.
But try to imagine a century into the future; dream a little...
Why not single-patient Hospitals?

When you get sick, your physician dispatches a mobile hospital to your driveway. Physicians continue to manage your care via data monitoring and video feeds. Nurse technologists come by once or twice a day to make sure that all the gadgets are properly working and to enjoy a cup of coffee with your family.

Since the trends into Nanotechnology, Robotics, and Biotechnology have matured, you now have everything you need inside your tiny personal hospital. Need surgery? No problem, miniature robots can do this as you stay in your bed. Lab tests needed? Medication? No problem. This fits into a small suitcase up front.

Your family could sleep in their own beds and come out to visit as they wish. Real home cooked food. Your dog can sleep by your side. Wayfinding worries are a thing of the past; you can't get lost because you are already home.

Comments

[Sara Marberry]

Interesting idea, Henry. I'm envisioning the mobile hospital of the future to be more like a DeLorean, though, rather than an Airstream...

[hdomke]

Sara, Of course there will be other options such as DeLorean Personal Hospitals (as well as Ferrari and Buggatti). But these will carry slightly higher insurance premiums.

[sknight]

Put a surfboard on top and an espresso machine inside and I'm there!

[A nonymous]

wonderful idea :) extremely innovative. Its things like these we are lacking these days. We need more ideas and the ability to make them happen. I would suggest you use a tool called http://www.myprgenie.com/healthcare to market the idea. I have used it myself for a another idea of mine and received brilliant response. you should try it too.

[Ifft-Matisek RN]

Hi Henry,

This is the answer to a long awaited problem. These mobile unit one bed patient unit is idea for the remote rurual areas at this time. And could be prospective into the future in the event of a world-wide diaster or pandemic. The concept is valid a reality, although the cost factors are similar to a portable MRI mobile unit that has started on the East Coast some years ago. Try it get investors and watch it grow. Although the costs for maintenance, deliver of the unit (like a regular pick up truck or ? depends on the weight). Would the insurance companies pay the same or more fees for such a mobile unit? The concerns are a critical care patient would need 24/7 until stable. Would the cost warrant the patient fees collected from the insurance company relative to the cost of services for a mobile unit? Anyways consider all the economic costs for patient costs, the reduced costs to the patient the insurance company. I can go on an on, but wanted to get this topic open for discussion. We are headed toward a big ecological change and to reduce costs to the consumer and to get quality health care, may be the best option in say 10-15 years or even less...it just depends on what the USA government is willing to support, the AMA, the nurses, the patients the insurance companies, and the State in the Union can be difficult too.
Airstreams are the toughest build mobile units today.
Thank you, Jackie