When we started Healthera, it was conceived with the vision of creating a brand of digital healthcare accessible to everyone. So just how easy is the Healthera app to operate for the everyday patient, and is it an accessible medium of technology for senior care?
What Our App Offers
The Healthera app provides a fresh, new alternative to the traditional system of repeat prescriptions ordering. Originally, when medications ran dry, patients needed to contact doctors, who would then communicate with pharmacies to prepare prescriptions for dispensing. This process is now seen as clunky and inefficient, given the rapid improvements in technologies, both for patients and pharmacies. It requires each party to be in communication with the two others for repeat prescription ordering, and problems in any of the three stages could compound upon one another to worsen the working effectiveness of the whole system.
This process was simplified when the NHS began to allow for pharmacies to request prescriptions from doctors. By integrating this process and building on the patient experience, Healthera’s system was built to radically simplify the ordering process for all patients alike. Now, ordering a repeat prescription via the Healthera phone app can be as simple as finding your local Healthera-supported pharmacy and tapping the order button. With all this improvement built into new technology, this raises the question: exactly how convenient and accessible is this prescription ordering method to patients, particularly as an implement of technology for senior care, who might have serious and uncompromisable needs for medications? In this blog post, we are going to discuss some of the measures taken to ensure the reliability and simplicity of the Healthera app, and more importantly, the ease of use of the app for all of our patients’ health and safety.
The Senior Perception
When one thinks of seniors and technology use, some negative stereotypes and misconceptions might jump to mind. However, the data could surprise you; according to AgeUK, a majority of seniors (defined as 65 years of age or older) are regular internet users. What’s more, nearly half of all seniors owned a smartphone as of 2017, and about half of seniors have access to the internet at home. These numbers are also rapidly rising, as the percentage of seniors who own a smartphone has nearly doubled since 2013. Statistically, we see not only a growing importance of internet access to seniors, but also a willingness and desire by them to further integrate the digital world with their lives. As 40% of seniors are afflicted by a limiting long-standing illness, and many of these seniors have reported the need for an accompanying caretaker, the demand for easy-to-access repeat prescription technology for senior care services is becoming more significant.
A Fresh Start
The Healthera app fulfils all of these requirements and melds it into one simple package. It is accessible, being completely free to download and only requiring a basic smartphone to run. Upon first opening the app, there is a prompt to simply log in using Facebook or email, which can be completed with a single tap provided those services are already in use on the device. Once on the app, the user can select a pharmacy and navigate their services offered, medicines needed, and orders placed using the directory at the bottom of the screen. The patient can then select their pharmacy, if it is partnering with Healthera, or nominate a nearby Healthera pharmacy otherwise.
Once this process is completed, the patient can easily notify their pharmacist of a request for a repeat prescription order, and after verification with the doctor by the pharmacy, the pharmacy can either offer the medication for delivery (if such a service is provided), or open up the medicine for pick up at the patient’s convenience. In the case that any patient is severely limited in capacity due to illness or other circumstances, such as lack of access to a smartphone, a family member or friend can simply use the “dependent” feature to order medicines in their place. This simplified process helps Healthera serve as a trustworthy digital application for senior care services, and ensures a higher degree of success for all users.
Due to the nature of this industry, particularly with respect to providing top-notch healthcare responses to seniors, Healthera seriously recognises its critical responsibility and only offers the most secure, dependable, and accessible services possible. All at the same time, Healthera maintains its commitment to improvement and growth, further building on the untapped potential of our network in delivering the best and simplest services possible to our patients.
Healthera
Healthera operates a leading healthcare marketplace that provides patients with medicines, healthcare services and products through the largest digital platform of pharmacies and GPs in the UK, including national chains and independent providers. Download Healthera App to order NHS repeat prescriptions online!
