企業界可依照需求提供從晚餐到乾洗等各種隨選服務。現在，創業家正在探索一個不斷成長的利基點：醫療保健。

Startups are offering access to doctors, prescription drugs and wellness programs as fast and easy as hailing an Uber driver. Experts say this is the early stages of a movement that could disrupt the health services industry, which critics have long contended suffers from soaring costs and reduced access to care.

透過新創公司取得醫生的服務、處方藥與保健方案，就像呼叫優步司機一樣既快又容易。專家說，一項新運動目前正處於起步階段，而這項運動可能會使醫療服務業大受震撼。批評者長期以來認為醫療服務業價格不斷飆升，提供的服務卻在減少。

“Health care delivery is so broken that we need to explore new channels — new conduits — and this represents one of them,” said Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist and author of “The Patient Will See You Now.”

心臟病學家暨《未來醫療》一書作者艾瑞克．托普博士說：「醫療保健服務的提供已失靈到我們需要探索新管道的地步，而這正是其中之一。」

The on-demand economy, which offers consumers immediate access to goods and services, surged 58 percent in 2017 from the previous year to an estimated $75.7 billion, according to a study by Rockbridge Associates, a market research firm.

根據市場研究公司Rockbridge Associates的調查，讓消費者能立刻獲得商品與服務的隨選經濟，2017年規模較前一年成長58%，約達757億美元。

As the industry swells, dozens of health and wellness companies are tapping the trend.

隨著產業蓬勃發展，數十家醫療和保健公司正在利用此一趨勢。

Heal, DispatchHealth, MedZed, Dose Healthcare and Pager will send a doctor or a nurse practitioner to a person’s home or workplace to treat nonemergency problems like strep throat or a sprained ankle. The I.V. Doc offers intravenous treatments for conditions like jet lag, hangovers and food poisoning. And Capsule will deliver prescriptions to a person’s doorstep.

新創公司Heal、MedZed、DispatchHealth、Dose Healthcare及Pager會派一名醫生或執業護理師到一個人的家裡或工作場所，以處理鏈球菌咽喉炎或腳踝扭傷等不須急救的問題，IV Doc則為時差、宿醉與食物中毒等情況提供靜脈注射治療，而Capsule會將處方藥送到你家門口。

Some startups — especially on-demand medical companies, like Heal and DispatchHealth — needed substantial cash to hire doctors, lease vehicles and bring in administrative staff to handle insurance claims.

一些新創公司，尤其像是Heal跟DispatchHealth這樣的隨選醫療公司，需要大量現金以聘請醫生、租賃車輛，並雇用行政人員來處理保險請領。

Cue the investors.

提醒投資人們。

Samir M. Patel, a principal and co-founder of IRA Capital, was so impressed with Heal after using it for at-home visits and an annual physical in his office that he became an investor.

薩米．帕特爾是IRA資本公司負責人兼共同創辦人，在使用到府服務，並在自己辦公室做年度體檢後，對Heal醫療公司印象極佳，也因此成了投資人。

But the potential to be the next “unicorn” — a startup valued at $1 billion or more — has created a crowded field.

由於參與者有望成為下一個「獨角獸」，也就是市值10億美元以上的新創公司，這個領域已經頗為擁擠。

The popularity of the I.V. Doc prompted a flurry of smaller companies, like IVDrips, Drip Hydration and the Hangover Club/NutriDrip, to offer similar services — sometimes at cheaper prices. To fend off competition, the I.V. Doc recently expanded to offer injectable drugs, like Botox and Restylane, as well as postoperative care for plastic surgery.

IV Doc大受歡迎，促使一些較小的公司如IVDrips，Drip Hydration與Hangover Club或NutriDrip提供類似服務，有時候收費更低。為了擺脫競爭，IV Doc近來擴大服務範圍，開始提供注射藥物如保妥適肉毒桿菌素與瑞絲朗玻尿酸，以及整形手術的術後照護。

Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/338427/web/#2L-14466052L