Flip the Clinic goes live

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has flipped the switch on its new project and website, Flip the Clinic.

Flip the Clinic’s purpose is to reinvent the traditional physician visit by sparking the development of new tools, technologies and strategies to empower people to be more informed and engaged when they step into a doctor’s office. The concept was inspired by the “flipping the classroom” concept pioneered by Sal Khan of the Khan Academy, in which homework is done during class time and video lectures are watched outside the classroom.

“The similarities between the classroom and the doctor’s office became obvious. We thought, why not Flip the Clinic the way Khan has flipped the classroom?” according to an explanation on the website.

The project website includes a community platform for users to submit ideas and practices to improve the medical encounter. It also showcases Flips, or lines of inquiry, including “How do I show patients that I’m invested in their health?” and “How can I help a patient when his or her most basic needs aren’t being met?” for comment and discussion.

“We hope that FliptheClinic.org will serve as a hub for innovative ideas already happening as well as a clearinghouse for what works and what doesn’t in the doctor-patient encounter. Flip the Clinic is an ongoing conversation, powered by your participation,” according to the website.