Arpana

Hey Arpana,

I am not going to lie, I love the telehealth option at my doctor’s office. It makes it so much more convenient for me to get a doctor’s appointment since I work a full-time job and I can never get to the office before 5 o’clock. When I had a sore throat this one time, I had a televisit, and I could actually pout my camera up to my mouth and they could see that my tonsils were inflamed and called me in medicine, and I could do this appointment on my lunch break. loT devices are going to make it a huge introduction to the telehealth world, and I am all for it. I do not agree with you on the HIPPA compliances because you are still talking to your doctor, its not like you are speaking to some stranger on the street. You still have that doctor, patient confidentiality aspect. I think that especially in a world of COVID these AI technologies will have a beneficial impact on our health systems.

Great Post!

The future of healthcare is absolutely going to be digital. Think about how often you see your primary care physician – for most people, it’s a one-and-done yearly physical. They’ll record your blood pressure and weight, and probably perform a metabolic blood panel. This only provides a single “snapshot” of your health, and doesn’t do a great job of telling the whole story.

This is where connected health devices, like wearables, come in. Instead of that single snapshot for the entire year, your doctor has access to more data points across a wider range of time. This provides a more accurate representation of your overall health than a single doctor’s visit ever could.

Telehealth is here to stay. There’s just so many opportunities to further incorporate technology into patient care.

Thank you, Andrea,
I would love to hear from you about the processes followed at Forever 21 sometime. It would be interesting to know how they make the best out of big data and technologies at their disposal.
I second your thought on sustainability. Fashion is a $2.5 trillion industry and produces 10% of global carbon emissions. Manufacturing just enough and just right is an excellent solution to address the problem to an extent, and Zara scores one extra credit for that!

Arpana, interesting article.

I had no idea Zara kept such a tight eye on it’s inventory. The quick replenishment cycle model sounds like the perfect way to create an efficient inventory management procedure that keeps designs and distribution running seamlessly. It honestly should be adopted by more retailers. Not to mention, it is wonderful to see a company that takes consumer feedback so seriously, because often times in industries such as this, the consumer is the driver of sales so the consumer must feel like their opinions and feedback are taken seriously.

Hi Arpana,

I love this post! As a huge Zara fan myself, I had no prior knowledge of the value drivers of their business model. I do wonder how, given how heavily this model relies on an efficient supply chain, Zara is faring in this current environment. Also, I know that they don’t invest in advertising; but, instead, opt for retail storefronts. Like most companies, I’m sure they’ve had to pivot their go to market strategy a bit. Keeping a low inventory to stay abreast of current trends is really smart. I’m an avid Shark Tank watcher and the amount of entrepreneurs who have hundreds of thousands to millions in inventory sitting in a warehouse is an ongoing pain point.

Really great read!

Arpana,

I actually started using telehealth post pandemic. My doctor’s office previously didn’t offer this service but adopted it during the pandemic. I have found it very helpful since I live in Philadelphia and my doctor is back in my hometown in Maryland. I definitely agree that Covid has pushed the boundaries of medical services and for the better. Prior to my doctor’s office offering telehealth, I found it difficult scheduling appointments that aligned with weekends that I went home to visit my family. I often was taking off work just for a 10 minute appoint to refill prescriptions. Now, I am able to schedule video appointments easily through their portal, saving me hours of driving and pto.

Hi Arpana,
This was a great read! You raise some valid questions about telehealth and patient confidentiality concerns. I personally have used telehealth during the height of the pandemic, and have continued to for convenience reasons. Right now, I work remotely 3x a week, and therefore can hop on to a quick telehealth appointment during my lunch hour easily. While the pandemic has caused a lot of hardships, I do think the fact that health care providers have had no choice but to pivot to telehealth has been a positive change for most people. Think about how much time patients are saving commuting to an appointment, sitting in a waiting room, waiting for the doctor to come into the room, etc. Telehealth allows many of these stressors to dissipate and I find my doctors aren’t running as late in a virtual space. I hope it continues to be this way in a post-covid world.