Have you ever dreaded going to the doctor, knowing that you have to sit in a cold, sterile room, only to be poked and probed with equipment that looks like it was set aside as props from a scene in the latest blockbuster horror flick?Well, times are changing. Welcome to Forward, the doctor’s office of the future.
No more nurses poking around for your veins. When you enter the facility, which almost feels like stepping into a modern day Apple store, you log-in with your information, and all of your data appears. Then, you digitally go through your playlist for the day and get started.
(Image: Nick Deshpande/ Forward)
First, you head over to the body scanner, which takes all of your vitals using a quick and easy method; all you have to do is insert two of your fingers into the reader. I must say, instead of feeling as anxious as I normally do when I embark upon a trip to the doctor, I found myself fascinated by all the technology and how everything worked.
Once you finish there, you make your way into the physician’s room. Remember those ugly shrugs that you had to change into? No more! Forward offers cute garments that
look more like gym clothes. I had to wonder if I had actually missed the doctor’s office and wandered into an Equinox instead, by mistake. It certainly felt that way. Then, you meet with your doctor, and together, you go over all of your health related goals.Traditionally, people only go to the doctor after something tragic has happened, but Forward offers a new and different approach to medicine.
“Everything in the healthcare system is set up to be reactive instead of proactive. So, we kind of wait for something terrible to happen, and then we try to fix it,” says Forward co-founder, Ilya Abyzov.
However, Forward is meant to be preventative, forward-thinking medical office–hence the name.
I don’t know about you all, but my health is the most important thing to me, trumping everything else. For $149 a month, you get access to all of this, including 24/7 access to your physician via the app. According to Forward’s website, it also provides travel vaccine and has an on-site pharmacy that dispenses common generic medications to patients at no cost.
Take my money now! Well… not so fast. Forward is currently only located in the San Francisco Bay Area, but they are in the process of expanding to new locations, so hang tight! A new doctor’s office experience will be coming to a city near you soon.
“We want to bring better healthcare to everyone. So, that means being in all the major cities–New York City, Los Angeles, and so forth. Ultimately, it’s about bringing better healthcare to as many people as possible,” says Michael Plater, who is on Forward’s growth team.
Watch My Tour of Forward’s Facilities Below:
(Video: Nick Deshpande)
Sequoia Blodgett is the Technology Editor for Black Enterprise, Silicon Valley. She is also the founder of 7AM, a lifestyle, media platform, focused on personal development, guided by informed pop culture.