Technology "has become a new arm of the health care delivery system," says Jay Sanders, an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University and CEO of The Global Telemedicine Group, a consulting firm in McLean, Va. "You need to bring the exam room to where the patient is, not where the doctor is."

'Treading a fine line'

SoloHealth's founder and CEO Bart Foster saw larger possibilities for automated screening after he began providing Walmart with self-service vision tests as a way to get shoppers from the product aisles to Walmart's optical shops.

In 2010, the firm got a $1.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop new approaches to screening for people in underserved communities. It has also received more than $43 million in investments from computer maker Dell Corp., health insurer WellPoint and Coinstar, maker of the Red Box DVD rental boxes, he says.

Today, SoloHealth's kiosks, which are not connected to a live physician, allow consumers not just to test their eyesight and learn if they are obese, but to get information on diet, vitamins and pain management.  A "find a doctor" function can direct users to nearby doctors, although the one in Sterling listed only "optical doctors" -- and those appeared mainly to be Walmart-affiliated.

Foster says SoloHealth has received lists of doctors from sponsors, including Walmart, and also allows doctors to buy a listing. SoloHealth does not do any independent review of doctors' credentials. About 20 to 30 doctors are typically offered.

Among its programs is one that advises those suffering symptoms of heartburn whether it may indeed be heartburn and which over-the-counter product might be useful, says Stephen Kendig, the firm’s chief commercial officer.

"We’re treading a fine line," Foster says. "We don’t want to practice medicine, just educate people."

But such programs raise a red flag for some consumer advocates who worry the "advice" might be an advertisement.

The SoloHealth station in Sterling, Va., for example, runs a video for Healthy Choice yogurt while the blood pressure device inflates.   Ads for Nature Made fish oil supplements or Healthy Choice frozen meals appear when consumers respond yes to a written question asking if they want more information about a healthy lifestyle. Others appear for allergy drug Zyrtec and heartburn medication Prilosec.

The ads, which can be targeted to particular consumers based on their answers, are SoloHealth’s revenue model. "Reach customers when they are aisles, not miles, away," the firm's message to advertisers on its website says.

Users who enter their email addresses -- and about 18 percent do -- will receive test results, along with information that might include "ask your doctor about this drug" this or "pick up some Advil on aisle four," says Foster.  Despite those efforts, every one of the five people who used the kiosk in the space of about an hour, including Khader, said they did not notice the advertising.

Privacy risk?