Doctor appointments
Let us preface this by saying that some types of medical care (and most dentistry) can’t be done solely online. Even if you have your own thermometer and other at-home devices, there are times when your doctor needs to listen to your lungs, do blood work, order X-rays, or do an OB-GYN exam in-person. In other words, all medicine isn’t going to end up being virtual. But having said that, a lot of routine doctor visits can (and likely will) be done online moving forward. Think you have pink eye? A doctor can diagnose it and send you a prescription without you having to leave your couch. Can’t tell if your kid has a simple cold or something more serious? An initial virtual visit with their paediatrician can save you a trip to the germy office. Telemedicine can also help cut down wait times to see physicians. “Gone are the days when patients had to wait months to see their doctor,” Eric Bacon, president of AMD Global Telemedicine, Inc. tells Reader’s Digest. “COVID has created a new reality and expectation. Moving forward, patients will demand they receive care where it is convenient for them, at a time that is convenient for them. Non-chronic care patients will resist going to the doctor’s for routine treatment for common ailments. Healthcare systems have quickly realised that there is competition in the marketplace and are moving to adopt new technology to meet this new reality.”
Wedding dress shopping
Fans of wedding reality shows know that the bride-to-be’s trip to a pick out the perfect dress can be a major moment. Wedding dress shopping becomes an event, where bridesmaids, friends, and family members gather to drink mimosas and tell women which white (or off-white) dress they should spend an exorbitant amount of money on to wear once. And while this may seem like something that has to be done in-person, the whole business of trying on and buying formal wear has moved online, like everything else. According to Paul Magel, the president of the business applications division of CGS, new technology – including 3D and augmented reality – makes all the difference in the virtual shopping experience. This includes using avatars that can be modelled to look like the bride and the wedding party, in facial features as well as body shape and size. “Use of such technologies can help streamline the traditional trying on of hundreds of dresses, which many brides-to-be experience for months leading up to their wedding day,” Magel tells Reader’s Digest. And yes, the social components of wedding dress shopping – like weddings themselves – have also been happening virtually. “For retailers, this includes having consultations online and curating possible dresses before shipping them to the bride,” Magel explains. [Then], a virtual fitting can be done with their wedding party and friends.”
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Source: RD.com
