Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

U Partners with TruClinic to Bring Online Healthcare to Patients

Officials with University of Utah Health Care announced Thursday that they’re partnering withTruClinicto bring online healthcare to patients in their homes.

University of Utah alum Justin Kahn is the CEO and founder of TruClinic based in Salt Lake City. Kahn thinks of himself as a social entrepreneur, driven by his mission.

“A lot of people who need care, either on medical or mental health, are not able to get it for a variety of different reasons from talent pool, to geography, to cost or taking time away from work,” Kahn says. “TruClinic has taken the approach that everyone in the world should have access to their doctors or their healthcare providers online.”

Credit TruClinic
A TruClinic records screen shot.

TruClinic’s cloud-based portal is designed so that patients can access their practitioner from anywhere. All they need is a computing device, Internet connection, and a webcam.  It hasn’t always been that easy, according to Nathan Gladwell, Administrative Director of Telemedicine at the U. Gladwell says, in the past telehealth would require specialized equipment like monitors, cameras, and wires.

“TruClinic brings to the table, a very quick, convenient, user-friendly way for our physicians to connect with patients,” Gladwell says.

University of Utah Health Care serves 5 surroundings states in a referral area encompassing more than 10 percent of the continental US.  Gladwell says TruClinic will enable the U to reach their clients better, particularly in fields that mostly require communication, like mental health or post-surgery follow-up.

Andrea Smardon is new at KUER, but she has worked in public broadcasting for more than a decade. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and news announcer for WGBH radio. While in Boston, she produced stories for Morning Edition, Marketplace Money, and The World. Her print work was published in The Boston Globe and Boston.com. Prior to that, she worked at Seattleââ
KUER is listener-supported public radio. Support this work by making a donation today.