Problem: Due to restrictions caused by coronavirus, patients in hospitals are isolated from their families and forced to suffer/recover in solitary confinement (the NYT wrote a very touch piece about this on March 24, 2020).
Solution: A HIPPA/PIPEDA compliant telecommunication company that arranges video calls for patients and their families or friends in coronavirus wards or other isolated wards. Some hospitals in Italy have already reached out telecoms companies to implement such a service given the coronavirus outbreak (source). In 2010, UCSF partnered with Skype to implement this service and found that “The technology enables patients to say hello, reconnect with, or – most poignantly – say goodbye to those who cannot visit” (source). Additionally, research has found that engaging patients in face-to-face video call contact can actually help reduce loneliness and improve long-term care options (source). Currently telecommunications in healthcare is from doctor-to-patient or health-care-provider-to-patient (like Zoom, Lifesize, and OneTouch Chat), this service would be family-to-patient or patient-to-patient.
Monetization: Sell the service to hospitals and/or a nominal per-call fee for friends/family.
Contributed by: Billion Dollar Startup Ideas