Uber Health rolls out patient rides in bid to tackle missed appointments

Need help to transport patients to and from the medical care they need? Uber now provides a new service for healthcare providers that allows them to easily book rides for their patients from an online dashboard. Uber Health lets coordinators schedule rides on behalf of patients, caregivers and staff to take place immediately, within a few hours, or up to 30 days in advance.  

Uber's new B2B service "allows for transportation to be scheduled for follow-up appointments while still at the healthcare facility. Multiple rides can be scheduled and managed at the same time, all from a single dashboard," according to Uber Health's General Manager Chris Weber.

With this new hail-riding platform, Weber explains, riders don’t need the Uber app, or even a smartphone, to get a ride as transportation scheduling is done through text message.

"We’re even going to be introducing the option for riders to receive a call with trip details to their mobile phone or landline instead. For many, their first ever Uber ride will be through Uber Health, so we’re committed to providing the necessary education tools that ensure every patient feels comfortable and at ease during their journey," says Weber.

In addition, an Uber Health API is also available to make it easier for software developers to integrate the tool into existing healthcare products.

Data show that some 3.6 million Americans miss doctor appointments each year due to a lack of reliable transportation. No-show rates are as high as 30 percent nationwide. And while transportation barriers are common across the general population, these barriers are greatest for vulnerable populations, including patients with the highest burden of chronic disease.

To ensure Uber Health meets HIPAA standards, Weber said the company has been working hard to develop, implement, and customise numerous safeguards. "We also worked with Clearwater Compliance, a leading HIPAA compliance company, to conduct comprehensive risk and compliance assessments. We are thus pleased to sign Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) with our healthcare partners," Weber added.

Source: Uber Technologies Inc.
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