Ford goes 'under the hood' of healthcare outreach

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — It’s often said that yesterday’s science fiction is tomorrow’s reality, and while automakers have yet to unveil flying cars similar to the ones in “Blade Runner,” the integration of WellDoc’s services with Ford Motor’s SYNC technology serves as a prime example.

(THE NEWS: Ford developing health care in the dashboard. For the full story, click here.)

Among developed countries, the United States is one of the most car-dependent. Given the amount of time that Americans spend in their cars and the sedentary lifestyles associated with car dependence, bringing together health and transportation — two of humanity’s most basic needs — is a natural extension to the overall trend of health and technology companies creating ways for patients to store and share health information with technology devices, a trend that until now mostly was limited to smartphone applications and computers.

And the opportunities that such innovations as Ford’s create for retail pharmacies almost are too numerous to calculate. With the popularity of drive-through pharmacies across the country and new services like Walgreens’ charging stations for electric cars, retail pharmacies are in an ideal position to bring health care on wheels rolling toward them.