In the United States, the days of doctors routinely making house calls are long gone. Soon to follow: the practice of most medical care occurring in person in a practitioner's office, a clinic, or a hospital. Increasingly, care will be delivered in a blended, real-world-mixed-with-virtual-world model.

The majority of patient-doctor interactions don't require the "laying on of hands," or a physical exam. Private (and increasingly reimbursable) Skype-like interactions between patient and physician will take place through web-based portals. Patients' vital signs will be obtained and shared with the physician via web-integrated wireless scales, blood pressure cuffs, and monitoring devices. A telemedicine dermatologist can use the selfie you've sent to prescreen your suspicious-looking skin spot and tell you either to rest easy or get it checked in person.