The April Fools Day prank promoted a pretend smartphone app that enabled physicians and patients to select one another with Tinder-style swiping. The app would allow physicians and patients to search through profiles to determine interest. “If both parties swipe right, the patient and doctor can start chatting and set up an appointment,” according to the website.
Epic’s website, which has since been replaced with the company’s standard homepage, included testimonials from fake physicians.
“I like being able to choose patients that I think will be a good fit,” one testimonial said. “If a photo shows a patient posing next to a car, I usually swipe right. I like knowing that they’re going to be able to make it to the appointment.”
The website also boasted 70 percent of patients were drawn to the app in initial pilot testing, since the service “doesn’t require the commitment of a traditional doctor-patient relationship.” “If our first appointment bombs, I can keep swiping to find a different doctor,” one patient testimonial said. “It empowers me to make decisions about my own care.”
More articles on health IT:
Study: Can Tetris prevent PTSD?
A popular ransomware family now evades AI detection, says Trend Micro
IBM Watson Health adopts SnoMed data standards
Becker’s 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit is the top tier event that the people leading the future of pharmacy convene. This 3-day event is built specifically for Chief Pharmacy Officers and senior pharmacy leaders. The sessions examine the workforce, financial and clinical priorities shaping pharmacy today. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive. Becker's 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit
